


Attack on Titan: The Spartan Assault

by joshmaxii



Category: Halo (Video Games) & Related Fandoms, Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Action/Adventure, Canon-Typical Violence, Crossover, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Gen, Horror
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-20
Updated: 2020-01-25
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:01:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 31,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22338934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joshmaxii/pseuds/joshmaxii
Summary: Humanity is under siege. For 107 years, they have been forced to cower behind their walls in the face of the greatest threat they have ever known; the Titans. But, in their darkest hour, help arrives from the stars.  A stranger from beyond their world; this mysterious armored behemoth may be their only chance at salvation.Drawn into the depths of an unknown Forerunner Shield World,  John-117 may be able to change the tide of this war. But new threats lay beyond the horizon, and it's not just the flesh eating giants he has to worry about...for an ancient enemy lurks in the shadows, waiting for the moment to strike.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 37





	1. Prologue: The Dream

**The Dream**

**Wall Maria, Shiganshina - Year 845**

* * *

  
  


_ Eren Jaeger was falling. The early morning sky around him was striped with pink and purple clouds, the floating masses parting as his body plunged through them. The wind roared in his ears, tearing at his black hair and causing it to whip about in a frenzy as fell voices raced past him. Screams of agony and terror echoed in the air as the sky grew dark; tendrils of brilliant white lightning crackling all around him as the very heavens themselves were shattered. Mikasa’s face flashed before him, her features bloody and broken; staring forwards with eyes that could no longer see. _

_ The young boy panicked and reached out towards his adopted sister; but in the blink of an eye she vanished, Eren’s outstretched hands grasping nothing but dust which were quickly scattered by the howling tempest that rent the air around him. His emerald eyes glistened with tears as he cried out in anguish, his voice lost amidst the crashing of thunder. He continued to fall, his body plummeting through a seemingly endless void, gaining speed as he raced through the raging storm. _

_ Soon a wall of heat crashed against Eren’s body as the dark sky suddenly came alight with searing blue flame. Amidst the raging firestorm, he could hear the terrified screams of his mother; begging for him to flee, to escape from this hellscape. Despite his best efforts though, Eren could see nothing amidst the towering walls of blue fire that engulfed him from all sides. Distantly, he could make out the booming of heavy cannon and the terrifying sound of walls crumbling. Screams echoed in the hellish sky as the distraught young man opened his mouth to let out a single, solemn cry. _

_ “Help!” _

_ A shadow appeared amidst the seething mass of blue flame and a heavy hand shot out and gripped Eren’s wrist, arresting his fall and bringing him to a screeching halt. The walls of fire parted, revealing a massive, heavily armored figure. Thick, green metal plates encased the giant’s body, forming an uncomfortably alien suit of armor that looked completely foreign in the young man’s eyes. Eren stared upwards, searching for his rescuer’s face; but only a bright, polished gold surface greeted his eyes, reflecting his own visage back unto him. The giant held Eren’s gaze for a moment before calling out to him. _

_ “Eren...” Came the giant’s voice, deep and gravelly as it echoed through the fiery abyss with an almost ethereal chime.  _

_ “Eren...Eren… _

_ *break* _

“Eren!” Mikasa barked sharply, slicing through the hazy cloud that had settled over Eren’s mind as he slowly came back to consciousness. He groggily began to sit up, his eyes returning to the reality of everyday life. He blinked uncomprehendingly for a moment at the sight of his sister standing over him, her long dark hair drifting in the wind beneath the whispering branches of the oak tree he had fallen asleep under.

“Wh-wha?” Eren stammered, obviously confused and caught off guard. The last whispers of his dream slowly began to vanish from his mind. The feelings of terror and anguish rapidly receded, leaving the startling image of the armored giant burnt into his mind before it too blurred into nothing but an empty void that the young boy struggled to make sense of.

Mikasa’s thin lips turned upwards into a small smile; a rare expression for the oriental girl. She was an unusually somber child; without the fiery drive and passion of her adoptive brother. However, something else was always lurking under the surface; a cold steel will that refused to give or break under any circumstance. Many local children had learned the hard way not to mess with Eren, as Mikasa was a natural and terrifying combatant, even at such a young age. Even older boys quickly learned to treat her with respect, lest they find themselves landing face first against the cold ground.

“Come on, we need to get back, it'll be dusk soon." Mikasa said, slowly reaching out a hand towards her brother, the branches of the oak casting long dappled shadows across both their bodies.

Eren stared at the offered appendage, his mind still struggling to recall his dream...but it was no use. He cast his eyes back towards the sky, watching the light of the sun filtering through the roof of leaves. After a few moments, he cast a glance upwards at his adopted sibling; a question forming on his lips.

"…Do you ever wonder what's up there Mikasa?" He asked, wiping drool from the corner of his mouth. Mikasa blinked once before affixing him with her ever present neutral visage, pondering his question for a few moments..

"You must still be half asleep if you can ask that sort of question. What do you mean by  _ up there _ ?" She asked, taking a seat beside her brother for a moment.

"I meant the stars Mikasa…"

"It's just the night sky Eren. There's nothing out there but the moon and stars."

"I mean, what if there's someone up there wondering what it's like down here?"

"Like some sort of god? I don't know, I've never really thought about it. Has Armin been talking about philosophy with you again?” Mikasa asked, slightly raising a single eyebrow.

Armin was a natural scholar and philosopher; often saying things that got both him and Eren into more trouble than they could handle. Mikasa had been forced more than once to intervene on their behalf; seeing off bullies who did not like the views that the young blonde boy espoused, or the truth that often resonated within his words. Even so, the three of them maintained a strong friendship despite it almost being more trouble than it was worth.

"I'm not sure, perhaps there are beings in the sky, or other people out there among the stars..."

"You’ve definitely been listening to Armin…” Mikasa said, shaking her head for a moment before looking at her brother once more. Such a question didn’t seem like the sort of thing that would enter Eren’s mind on it’s own; she’d have to talk with Armin about it later…

“Do you think we'll ever meet them if they do exist?" She asked, glancing curiously at Eren.

"I hope so, don't you?"

Mikasa shook her head before looking to the sky. "What did you dream about Eren? Why would you ask such a question?"

Eren blinked. "I can't really remember. It’s strange...like there’s a hole where it should be…”

"Are you okay Eren?” Mikasa asked, staring into his emerald eyes with her steely blue ones. The boy blinked again, feeling rather confused.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Eren asked, cocking his head to the side slightly. Mikasa stood a bit straighter, shifting her weight onto her other foot.

"Why are you crying?"

* * *

Unbeknownst to the two children on the planet below, Eren's question had already been answered. The vast expanse of space held many secrets far beyond the capability of the humans inhabiting this primitive world. Astronomy was a fledgling science at best, but even the most well educated individual would not even be able to conceive the sheer breadth and width of the galaxy that they inhabited. Nor could they ever hope to anticipate the force that was about to arrive.

The cold darkness of space was rent asunder by a bright flash of blue light as a massive wormhole tore through the vacuum, regurgitating the remains of a derelict warship.

The starship's titanium heavy hull was scarred by plasma burns; great holes rent through the collapsed and buckled armor plating. Scattered bits of debris floated through the void, drifting aimlessly as they were drawn to the hulk's floating mass. The aft portion of the ship was all that remained, split from the bow along the midsection. The edges of the mortal wound still glowed in the aftermath of whatever disaster had cut it in twain. The slipspace rupture soon collapsed behind it, leaving the dead vessel caught in the planet's gravity well.

Within the bowels of the aft section, the greatest weapon ever devised by mankind slipped into peaceful slumber, ready to awaken at a moment's notice. It would take four and a half years, but eventually the veteran of a decades long conflict would be able to answer Eren's questions personally. With any luck, he could give this new humanity a fighting chance against the greatest threat that they have ever known; the Titans.

If only that was the greatest threat they would ever face...


	2. Chapter 1: Awakening

**Awakening**

**UNSC** **_Forward Unto Dawn_ ** **, Uncharted Space**

**2557 AD - 4 ½ Years After The Halo Event**

* * *

Deep within the uncharted regions of space, floating amidst a field of asteroids and debris, lay the battle scarred aft section of the UNSC heavy frigate;  _ Forward Unto Dawn. _ The dead warship had been split in two after a slipspace rupture following the final cataclysmic battle of the Human-Covenant War; ultimately culminating in the destruction of Installation 00. In the dying moments of the battle, the  _ Forward Unto Dawn  _ had made an emergency jump; but at a terrible price. Only one of the war’s triumphant heroes made it back to tell the tale. The Arbiter; a Covenant Separatist and the figurehead of the Elite forces was the only soul aboard the ship to make it back to Earth.

The greatest war hero in the history of the UNSC was sadly lost when only the fore section of the heavy frigate landed in the Pacific Ocean; the aft portion having been lost when the slipspace portal closed prematurely. The official story was that SPARTAN-117; The Master Chief, was missing in action as per ONI directives. After all, Spartans Never Die. Even so, the Office of Naval Intelligence could not prevent anonymous servicemen from scratching the Spartan’s designation into public monuments all over UNSC space.

John-117 was the tip of the spear in every major ground offensive during the later parts of the war, fighting his way from crags of Installation 04 to the streets of New Mombasa; from Delta Halo to High Charity, and from the shattered ruins of Voi to the Ark itself. But even before these impressive open offensives, the Master Chief had participated in over 200 separate campaigns against the alien threat. Working in secret the Spartan leader ran shadow ops and sabotage missions to disrupt the Covenant war machine and gather valuable intel in the process with the rest of his Spartan siblings.

However, after the existence of the SPARTAN-II program was revealed by ONI in a propaganda coup; Spartan-117 became the very symbol of humanity’s war effort; a living embodiment of the Human Spirit. As the last of his kind, the Spartan’s willingness to stare death in the face and battle through insurmountable odds made him a walking legend to the grunts on the ground. His impossible exploits and the sheer magnitude of his presence alone swayed entire battles in humanity’s favor; though the Chief’s own considerable combat prowess certainly contributed to victory after victory. 

Embattled marines stuck in their fox holes were willing to rally and lay down their lives for the armored super soldier; and he in return would go through hell and back to drag them out of the hairiest situations imaginable. Many UNSC servicemen to this day owe their very existence to the Master Chief; and as such they refused to let his memory go unhonored under any circumstance; even if it meant spitting in the face of ONI’s propaganda. A few servicemen and civilians even went so far as to privately commision statues and monuments to the fallen hero, much to the chagrin of Naval Intelligence.

However; despite the fact that humanity at large believed the Spartan to be dead, the reality of the situation couldn’t be further from the truth. If the Covenant and Flood hordes combined with the destruction of two Halo Rings couldn’t put the Chief down, then nothing ever would. Stranded in the endless void after the slipspace portal had collapsed, John-117 had been forced to enter cryosleep. Watched over by his close AI companion Cortana, he would sleep for the next four years; waiting for help that would never come…

* * *

The cryobay was dark and frigid. Ice clung to the walls, the cold void of space bringing the temperature down to nearly -400 degrees fahrenheit. Crates and ammunition hung suspended in the air, slowly tumbling about in the darkness. Occasionally they would careen off of the walls or collide; only to drift away once more in a never ending dance of lethargic chaos. A single terminal hummed in this frozen black abyss, it’s blue screen and characters glowing with an almost ghostly light. A single message scrawled across the display, relaying a message that echoed over the internal communications system.

"Mayday, mayday. This is UNSC FFG-201  _ Forward Unto Dawn _ , requesting immediate evac. Survivors aboard. Prioritization code Victor 5-3-Sierra-117."

The distress call repeated over and over, creating an incessant cadence that blasted over the communications relay, hoping to reach out and grab the attention of any human vessels within the  _ Dawns _ limited broadcasting range. This same message had been playing nonstop for the past four and a half years; a desperate cry in the vast void of space. Even so, it was a vain effort. The  _ Forward Unto Dawn _ could be anywhere within the Milky Way; or perhaps even in another galaxy altogether

Cortana had been all too aware of this possibility. She hadn’t wanted to admit it to John, but she knew that it was quite likely that neither of them would make it off of the  _ Dawn _ alive. The odds were long enough to be a near certainty, and any other AI would have powered down long ago. But Cortana was different; she wanted to spend every waking moment of her life with the man who had truly given her purpose. 

The pair had been through thick and thin, forging an unbreakable bond through the fiery crucible of the Human Covenant War. For all the Spartan’s training and augmentation, he had formed a special relationship with the AI that went beyond the battlefield. Not even John’s ‘siblings’ had been as close, and they had been his family for the entirety of his training. Cortana knew him better than any other person alive, man or machine. After all, she had literally been inside of his head during most of their fire missions together.

  
  


The fact that Cortana had saved the Spartan’s life on numerous only served to reinforce their relationship. John could always count on her to get him out of tough situations, and he in turn could be counted on to delve into the fetid bowels of hell to rescue her when the need arose. The most stunning example of this was his operation on High Charity, wherein the Master Chief had pulled her from the very clutches of the Gravemind itself. All of that effort had been made just to keep the promise he had made when he was forced to abandon her months before. Cortana knew that if John would go to such lengths just to save her; then the Spartan would never allow himself to be stopped if anything stood between them.

It was this unshakable bond between the two of companions that drove Cortana to keep up her long vigil, watching over the Master Chief no matter the cost. She knew that she was destroying herself in the process; but as long as John lived she would be there for him. Sadly, UNSC AIs began to deteriorate after 7 years of active service; and Cortana was over 8 years old at this point in her life. She was literally thinking herself to death, her files and subroutines becoming more and more corrupt with each passing day. But even though she was slowly driving herself insane, the only thoughts on her mind were with the Spartan that currently lay frozen in a cryotank next to her console.

The UNSC AI often reminisced over the Spartan’s parting words; hysterically playing John’s voice over and over in her head to cope with the long dark night.

“Wake me...when you need me.”

Cortana desperately wanted to wake the slumbering Spartan, but she knew that it would only be a temporary reprieve. Even if she did get him out of that pod, he’d have to return to it if he wanted to have so much as a chance of surviving...and then it’d be back to the long years of darkness. She had almost given into her desire on several occasions, but somehow she had managed to hold herself back each time the overwhelming urge cropped up. It was an incredible battle of wills that waged within Cortana’s very being as her loneliness and Rampancy began to tear her apart…

But today something was different. In the darkness, Cortana swore she heard a faint rumbling. Her shimmering blue form wavered and changed, shifting from a floating orb into the stunning image of a beautiful young woman. Holographic symbols and characters ran over her semi-naked body as she slowly stood and surveyed the room. Her soft glow cast its light all around the cryobay, illuminating row after row of empty cryogenic stasis capsules. As she turned though, her eyes instinctively moved towards the pod that she knew housed the only other survivor aboard the  _ Dawn _ .

In that moment a high energy pulse in the form of a massive orange wall crashed over the  _ Forward Unto Dawn _ , raking the superstructure and hallways of the derelict warship. Cortana felt her data streams momentarily cross and become scrambled as she quickly tried to ascertain the nature of the wave. After a few nanoseconds she realized that the  _ Dawn _ had been hit with a high intensity scan of some sort, though she had no idea where it had initiated from. The signature was incredibly foreign, yet somehow familiar at the same time; as though she had witnessed it in some form or another. She didn’t think it was UNSC or Covenant in origin; a startling revelation that worried her greatly.

Even so, the fact that Cortana could not register the nature of the scan could only mean one thing; trouble. She slowly turned towards the Cryopod that housed her slumbering friend, still able to make out his armored form beneath the frosted glass that contained him. If she had a heart, it would have been racing at this moment as she quickly ran a diagnostic of the  _ Forward Unto Dawn _ ’s systems. After a moment she came upon the manual interface for the Cryobay and cycled through the tubes until she came upon the one housing the Master Chief. After a few moments of hesitation, she pressed the ‘Reactivate’ button.

Cortana took a deep breath and slowly turned to gaze upon her slumbering friend as the pod began to rapidly defrost, venting coolant out into the frigid air.

“Wake up Chief...I need you.”

The sight of her Spartan slowly starting to shift and turn created a spike of joy within the AI. After all this time, John was finally waking up. It almost seemed too good to be true. A moment later though, Cortana remembered the reason why she had brought the Spartan back into action. 

The Master Chief groaned and slowly began to sit up before suddenly lunging forwards; his armored gauntlets slamming against the acrylic housing of his icy tomb. Cortana was momentarily alarmed and flinched, her eyes wide with concern at this unexpected act. If John kept this up, he would surely injure himself as his muscles thawed.

“Chief, take it easy! You’ve been out for a while!” The AI cautioned, hoping that her voice would reach the disoriented Spartan.

After a few moments, the lights mounted on either side of John’s helmet flickered to life, casting long beams out into the darkness as the super soldier looked around cautiously. Seeing no immediate danger he allowed himself to relax before looking to Cortana’s glowing holographic form.

“Where are we?” John asked, his voice low and somewhat weak from four and a half years of cryogenic stasis.

“We’re still adrift aboard the  _ Dawn _ ” Cortana answered tentatively, knowing that her Spartan would question her actions for a few moments until she could explain her reasoning.

“Why did you wake me?” John replied, gaining back a bit more strength.

Cortana frowned for a moment, unsure as to whether or not she should elaborate at the moment. After a few nanoseconds though, she came to the conclusion that it was far more preferable to get the Spartan battle ready than it was to brief him. That could come once he was safely out of the pod.

“Hang on, bringing your armor’s systems online.” She chirped, booting up the MJOLNIR Mark VI armor frame. Servos hummed and whirred as the armor began to shift and react to its wearer’s movements, amplifying them three fold. Any normal human would be horribly disfigured or maimed from so much as attempting to use the armor system, but the Master Chief was certainly no ordinary human.

The Spartan shifted a bit more gradually for a moment, feeling the burning in his arms. He was certain that he had probably injured something while his muscles were still cold...but soon it passed and he was able to move more freely. His throat felt so incredibly dry, and he swallowed what little saliva that had pooled in his mouth.

“I rewrote your suit’s firmware while you were out.” Cortana said as more and more systems came online, including the Heads Up Display. It looked unfamiliar, but the Master Chief quickly overcame his confusion and began to memorize the position and purpose of each icon as they appeared.

“You’ve been busy.” the Spartan replied dryly as he began to sit up again, confident that he was sufficiently thawed enough to put more effort into his movements. Cortana smiled inwardly at that; it was good to hear John’s voice again...even if he wasn’t much of a conversationalist. After a moment the Spartan pressed his hands against the housing of the cryopod, attempting to force it open for a moment before Cortana interrupted him.

“Look up Chief...pull the manual release.”

The Master Chief complied, casting his gaze upwards; the lights of his helmet illuminating the lever he needed to pull in order to be released from the icy prison that held him. He reached up without hesitation and jerked on it, prying it loose from it’s frosty moorings. There was another hiss of gas as the seals were released, and large shards of ice went spiraling off into the darkness as the hatch flew upwards. 

John cautiously took a step forwards, pulling himself out of the pod and onto solid ground; only to realize that he was floating mere moments after his feet contacted the steel deck.

“Are the gravity generators dead?” The Chief asked. Though he would never care to admit it; the Spartan was incredibly uncomfortable with Zero-G. He preferred to have solid earth or steel beneath his feet if at all possible. After losing one of his fellow Spartans during an EVA mission, John was reluctant to stay hovering in space for too long.

“Just a moment; restoring main power.” Cortana chirped, tapping buttons on her console. Lights flickered to life, prompting John to flick his off. A moment later though, something cylindrical drifted in front of his visor, causing him to quickly reach forwards and snatch it out of the air. The Spartan turned it over in his hand for a moment before quickly identifying it as the hilt of a Type 1 Energy Weapon; or in other words, an Energy Sword. What was it doing in the cryobay of all places?

“Did you find a goodie Chief? I think that might be the Arbiter’s…” Cortana joked, knowing the power that such a weapon could grant its wielder. Capable of cutting through through the armored plating of a UNSC warship on it’s own, an Energy Sword was always a valuable weapon in the hands of someone who knew how to use it properly.

“I don’t think he’ll mind…” John replied, magnetizing the hilt to his thigh. In that moment, the gravity generators kicked into gear, and the Spartan found his feet resting against the deck beneath him. Taking this opportunity, the Chief turned and pulled his MA5C assault rifle from its rack, checking the weapon over for any defects that might have occurred during the battle for Installation 00, or in the intermittent period in which he had been asleep.

After loading and chambering a round into the weapon, the Spartan turned towards the terminal and walked forwards. He placed both of his hands on either side of the console for a moment, looking up at Cortana’s glowing body.

“Ready to get back to work?” He asked wryly, prompting the AI to smile back in response as she crossed her arms over her chest.

“I thought you’d never ask.”

Taking that as permission to yank Cortana from the  _ Forward Unto Dawn’s _ main frame, the Master Chief reached down and grasped her AI chip. A split second later he pulled it out of the console, causing it to flicker and go dark for a moment before he inserted her chip into the back of his helmet. Shortly afterwards, he felt a cool, liquid presence enter his mind and settle into his armor, prompting him to relax more fully.

“I’ve missed this…” Cortana mused for a moment, taking a moment to diagnose the MJOLNIR armor’s internal systems before John began to move through the  _ Dawn’s _ interior. Heavy boots clanked against metal as the Spartan stalked forwards, his weapon lowered as he made his way through the halls.

“How long was I out?” John asked, continuing to move towards a nearby CIC.

“Four years, seven months and ten days.”

“Somebody should have found us by now.”

“I think someone already has. We were hit by an energy pulse just a few minutes before I woke you up…” Cortana said, only to be cut off as a massive orange wall of light came racing down the hallway. The Master Chief didn’t even hesitate, diving into cover behind a holographic display table. The light crashed over his body, causing Cortana’s data streams to be interrupted again..

“What was that?” John barked, popping up out of cover to survey the room, his assault rifle at the ready. 

“Sensor scan; high intensity! Doesn’t match any known patterns!” Cortana said in alarm, once again realizing that she couldn’t discern the origin of the scan itself.

“How far to the Observation Deck?” John asked, His eyes quickly darted around, making sure that there were no hostiles in sight before leaping over the holotable. The Spartan wasted no time in pointing his weapon down a nearby hallway; the interior lights flickering momentarily. A series of monitors were stationed at the end of the hall, half of them were covered in white static while the others displayed various diagnostic information about the _Forward Unto Dawn’s_ systems.

“It’s directly above us…” Cortana answered, creating a navpoint so John could more easily orient himself in the tight, winding corridors of what was left of the  _ Forward Unto Dawn. _

“Then let’s move.”

* * *

**Trost, Wall Rose**

**Year 850 - 4 ½ Years After Titan Incursion**

It was a calm, peaceful day behind the mighty Wall Rose. The sun shone warmly in the early morning sky, its radiant beams lighting the land below. The town of Trost was just beginning to wake up as a cool, spring breeze swept through the urban terrain. Many residents went about their morning tasks, drawing water from wells, preparing breakfast and other duties that would make the rest of the day possible. Others went about opening their shops and eateries, readying themselves for business as usual.

This border town was the southernmost bit of territory that humanity still clung to in the wake of the titan invasion five years earlier. Typically, life in a border town was considered suicidal; but with five years of peace since the last titan attack, more people flocked to Trost than ever before; if only because the Monarchy had offered incentives to do so. Forcing people to live in the crowded urban fortresses freed up more land between Wall Rose and Wall Sina for cultivation; though it would have been far more expedient and helpful if the rich nobles and bureaucrats simply allowed their vast swathes of land in the Interior to be tilled…

  
  


Even with the excess land freed up for agriculture though, there were still plenty of people who still feared going to bed hungry at night. Despite the fact that the territory between Wall Rose and Maria was once considered to be the most productive farmland that humanity once held, only a single large scale effort to reclaim the lands between Wall Rose and Maria had been attempted...and was subsequently met with total annihilation. Fully one fourth of humanity’s population had been sacrificed to the titans with nothing to show for it...except fewer hungry mouths to feed within what little territory mankind still had left.

Now only small scale expeditions were launched beyond the walls with the goal to reconnoiter the area and gather intelligence on the titan menace. However, the military branch assigned this task had accomplished very little in the past five years; sustaining excessively heavy casualties in the process. Even so, the Survey Corps was willing to carry on it’s mission month after month. As determined as they were, most of humanity viewed their purpose as nothing more than a waste of valuable lives and taxpayer money. After all, the only thing that they had managed so far was to feed thousands of military personnel to the titans while establishing their supply routes…

In spite of their failures; today would be the dawning of yet another such expedition. The clopping of iron shod hooves on hard pavers echoed through the early morning hours, growing louder and louder as a procession of horsemen clad in green cloaks passed through along the cobblestone central street. The very symbol of the Survey Corps; the Wings of Freedom was emblazoned upon their backs, fluttering in the breeze as their horses trotted along. Some of the riders upon their chocolate brown steeds bore a grim, determined look on their faces, their eyes cold as ice as they simply gazed on ahead as if envisioning their goal. Others looked like complete, nervous wrecks, their hair disheveled and their eyes wide and staring as twitched and glanced about.

Townspeople began opening their windows and somberly watched the riders of the Survey Corps pass on by as they made their way towards the far gate. Some children ran along the streets, following the column of soldiers as they went; waving and cheering as the adults simply shook their heads and attempted to usher them back inside. That was the trouble with being the main jumping off point for expeditions...many of Trost’s children viewed the men and women wantonly riding to their deaths as heroes. Even though the Survey Corps sustained a horrific number of casualties; some kids would not be dissuaded their aspirations of joining the highly profession.

After a few minutes the lead man in the formation came to a stop, signalling for the baggage train and their escorts to halt. He threw back his hood, revealing a short, well kept mass of blonde hair. He looked out towards the sky, his icy blue eyes searching the clouds for a moment.

“Something isn’t right here…” said Erwin Smith; the overall Commander of the Survey Corps as he continued to look skyward. His right hand man; Captain Levi sat beside him on his own horse, seemingly unconcerned with his Commander’s intuition. However, his steely eyes told a far different story as he looked up as well, scanning the sky. Another figure trotted up alongside them in the shape of Hanji Zoe, one of the squad leaders underneath Erwin’s personal command.

“What’s wrong Commander?” She asked, slowing her horse to a stop alongside the two of them. 

Suddenly there was a deep rumble; causing the very earth itself to shake beneath the horseman’s hooves. Then the sky was quite simply shattered as a fiery lance of orange light blasted into the sky with a terrible, teeth rattling screech. Everyone in Trost threw their hands up to cover their ears, but the members of the Survey Corps kept their eyes locked on the sky sundering beam. The heavens themselves were rent asunder, revealing the black expanse of night as a vast gaping hole amidst the clouds.

Then, just as abruptly as it had arrived, the beam of light vanished; leaving the rapidly receding sky as the only evidence that it had ever existed in the first place. The Survey Corps took a few moments to shake the ringing from their ears before Erwin Smith raised his right hand before snapping it forwards, signalling the start of the expedition. Every man and women within the Corps began to advance, urging the horses into full gallop as the gates ahead of them opened.

Commander Erwin turned to face Hanji who had fallen in on his left, her eyes bright and fiery with an unstable passion. She was practically shivering in anticipation as her long brown hair whipped about in the wind.

“This could change everything...everything!” She shouted, raising her hands to cup her cheeks. The young woman was blushing in a rather creepy, mentally disturbed fashion; then again, everyone who had joined the Survey Corps was strange in one way or another.

“What do you think it was? Is it related to the Titans?” Erwin asked, noting how Hanji’s square glasses only served to exaggerate her expressions.

“I have no idea...but I’m going to find out! This is so exciting!” The woman replied, throwing her hands in the air for a moment before gripping the reins once more.

“Just don’t get yourself killed…” Levi cut in, having maintained his pace along Erwin’s right flank.

“You too! Watch your back Captain!” Hanji giggled before breaking off and taking her place in the formation as the entirety of the Survey Corps galloped off at full speed, setting themselves on a collision course that would change the world of Mankind forever...


	3. Chapter 2: Landfall

**Landfall** ****

**  
** **  
** **UNSC Forward Unto Dawn, Uncharted Space - 2557 A.D.** **  
  
**

* * *

The sound of heavy footsteps echoed throughout the flickering hallways and corridors of the UNSC  _ Forward Unto Dawn _ . Repetitive clunking footfalls followed in the Master Chief's wake as he made his way through the dead warship, seeking a way up to the Observation Deck. The past 4 years had not been kind to the crippled derelict; many parts of the ship had become compromised, forcing Cortana to override blast doors in order to maintain hull integrity and the local air supply. 

Unfortunately, this meant that the Master Chief would be forced to take several detours through the winding, twisting guts of the ship. However, luck always seemed to smile upon the Spartan; even in the darkest of moments. The only unsealed room on this level was one of the few places that a Spartan could feel at home; the Armory.

The Master Chief’s helmet mounted flashlights flicked on as he entered the darkened arms room, scanning his surroundings for anything of importance. Most of the arms and armor once housed in this chamber had been expended during the battle of Installation 00; but some weapons and ammunition still remained. Given the circumstances with which the Dawn had parted from Earth; the ship’s commander, Miranda Keyes saw fit to requisition every bit of munitions that the Dawn could carry, and a bit more.

About a dozen weapon crates lay unopened, their contents having been spared from the frigid temperatures of deep space. Even so, ice still clung to the heavy green cases and would need to be dealt with if anyone wanted access to what was inside of them. This would be exceptionally difficult for any standard UNSC personnel, but a Spartan was a different story. 

The Master Chief reached forwards and literally tore the door off of one of the arms lockers to get a look at it’s contents. During normal operations it would be easy for trained UNSC servicemen to pick through the armory and select their weapons, but given the hectic departure from UNSC space, the  _ Forward Unto Dawn’ _ s armory was a complete mess. 

As luck would have it, the Master Chief found exactly what he was looking for; spare assault rifle magazines and a handful of fragmentation grenades. He quickly stowed away the extra ammunition and explosives before looking around once more, surveying the dark hold for anything of further value. After all, there was no telling what might be in those other crates.

Unfortunately, organization had broken down during the last arms shipment to the  _ Dawn _ , resulting in various weapon crates being lugged against the walls and left there with nobody wiser to what they contained. And that wasn’t even counting the bulky Covenant weapon caches the Elites had brought on board. John recalled that there were other various weapon crates and caches littered all throughout the Dawn; no doubt as a result of Commander Keyes’ efforts to fill her ship to the brim with as many small arms as it could carry.

The Spartan was about to leave when he caught sight of something familiar out of the corner of his eye; several dark blue spheres clustered around the base of one Covenant weapons crate. Plasma grenades. 

“Huh, it’s not like you to overlook things like that Chief…” Cortana quipped, causing John to grunt in reply as he reached forwards to scoop up the volatile general purpose explosives before placing them next to the other grenades on his armored ‘belt’ for ease of access. 

“Just got out of cryo.” The Chief said as he exited the armory and headed further down the corridor until he reached an unopened elevator.

Much to John’s surprise, Cortana didn’t have a clever comeback waiting in the wings. She instead remained silent, contemplating something as the Spartan awaited her response.

“Cortana? Doors are stuck tight.”

“Right, sorry...I can’t override them; you’ll have to pry them open. Just be careful-” Cortana replied before being cut off as her Spartan adopted a firm stance and wrenched the dual doors open. 

With a sudden loud roar, all the air inside of the hallway was sucked down into the elevator shaft as the corridor depressurized. The Master Chief braced himself and would have weathered the sudden vortex if it hadn’t been for a trio of crates stacked near a terminal. These heavy metal boxes came hurtling at the Spartan at high speed, slamming into his back and throwing him into the dark tunnel beyond.

The Chief immediately latched on to the nearest handhold and watched as the crates went hurtling past, smashing against the walls of the elevator shaft before disappearing into the bowels of the  _ Forward Unto Dawn. _

“...Because some areas of the ship may have lost pressure…” Cortana finished, without her usual smugness.

“Right.” John replied dryly as he began to ascend hand over hand, leaping upwards to grab new perches.

The handholds with which the Master Chief sought his purchase groaned under the weight of his MJOLNIR; but the veteran soldier continued to ascend. Within a few moments however, there was a deafening explosion from above; causing debris to come hurtling down towards the wayward Spartan. Using his enhanced reflexes, the Master Chief deftly leapt away from the oncoming danger, grabbing on to another handhold just as large chunks of metal and various boxes screamed past them. 

“I didn’t think the ship had deteriorated so badly…” Cortana said nervously, quickly analyzing the Dawn’s hull integrity...only at 30%. That wasn’t good at all...how had she not noticed how badly the Dawn’s hull had been compromised?

“One thing at a time.” John replied, focusing all of his attention on climbing; periodically moving to avoid more falling obstacles. After a couple of minutes; the Spartan finally reached his destination and climbed out onto a ledge, the elevator doors opening to allow him access to the observation deck. 

As John had anticipated; he found more weapon crates; each of them flanking the steps of the catwalk. If he were forced to engage in a protracted firefight in this area, he certainly wouldn’t be hurting for ammunition any time soon. However, given that Cortana hadn’t alerted him to any intruders, the likelihood of a bulletstorm shredding the place was unlikely.

“Chief look! Those are the blast shield controls.” Cortana chirped excitedly, causing a flashing blue waypoint to flicker on John’s hud; hovering over the blue console that would control the shutters. The Spartan grunted in reply and moved forward, swiftly crossing the distance in a few long strides before hitting the override button.

The Master Chief’s visor polarized in the face of blinding white light as the thick armored shutters lifted, exposing the vulnerable glass beneath. The vast void of space greeted his eyes, numberless sparks of light dusting the black expanse of the heavens. After a few milliseconds the Spartan saw the faint outline of a planetary horizon, the white curve of sunlight gently starting to peak over the rim of a mysterious world.

“Okay...how the hell did I miss a planet we’ve been orbiting around for the last 4 years?” Cortana asked aloud before checking the Dawn’s sensor array...they were online but at minimal capacity. So that explained it.

Suddenly a loud, shrill screech filled the air as a beam of vibrant, orange light pierced the thick glass separating the Master Chief from the cold depths of space, shrouding him in light. Cortana shuddered, her neural net working feverishly to pull anything that she could from the beam. 

"Analyzing…Chief, the planet itself is scanning us!" Cortana cried out in alarm as she finally discerned the nature of the scans.

"Forerunner signatures confirmed!"

In that moment, the face of the planet fractured; spiraling outwards like an aperture. A bright, ethereal glow issued forth from the split surface; bringing with it an ominous sense of foreboding. Suddenly, the entire ship seemed to lurch forwards; hurling crates and other heavy objects against the observation windows. The Spartan himself was nearly dislodged for a second time, but held firm as his boots magnetized to the deck beneath his feet.

Cortana took only a few moments to ascertain what had happened, and it filled her with dread.

“Chief! The planet is using a gravity well to pull us inside the surface! We've got to hurry; the second we cross the dome's event horizon, its atmosphere is going to tear us apart!” Cortana shouted, nervously looking about for any way to escape the Dawn and certain death.

“Where are the closest escape pods?” John barked, turning back towards the open elevator doors.

“Aft Vehicle Bay! I’ll mark the waypoint on your hud, lets get go-Chief!” Cortana shrieked as several crates smashed into the glass window, causing long, spindly spider webs to fracture the crystalline surface. 

The Master Chief swiftly grabbed onto the railing as a final heavy metal case slammed into the glass; causing it to shatter and vent every molecule of air the Observation Deck had left out into the depths of space. The explosive depressurization threatened to tear the Spartan away from the heavy steel deck and hurl him to the planet below. He braced himself...and suddenly felt a tremendous force smack him in the back.

Then...nothing. A sense of weightlessness overcame the Spartan as the interior of the Forward Unto Dawn spun wildly about. After a few brief seconds of disorientation; the Chief realized that he had been dislodged from his perch by one of the arms lockers and was currently drifting out into space. The revelation hit him like a ton of bricks, and he reached out to latch onto the wayward object.

“Chief are you alright?!” Cortana cried out, her voice tinged with horror and desperation.

“I’m green...but I don’t think the escape pods are an option anymore.” John said as he drifted further and further away from the Dawn; picking up speed as he went.

“Damn it...we’re caught in the planet’s gravity well!” Cortana growled, causing the Master Chief’s HUD to flicker like a failing christmas tree. 

“Cortana?” John asked, recalling that the same sort of distortion had occurred on High Charity.

“Just...hold on!” The AI spat back, calculating their current trajectory as the Master Chief hurtled through the depths of space and towards the planet below.

* * *

**Outside Wall Rose, Titan Territory**

Everything was going smoothly. Right out the gate, advanced elements of the Garrison branch had eliminated any Titan resistance they came across; allowing the Survey Corps to ride out unto the open plains unmolested. From there, the entirety of the expeditionary force fanned out into what was known as the Long Range Scouting Formation; a primitive form of radar that relied upon flares fired from horseback to alert everyone to the position of various Titans.

However, the entirety of the Survey Corps had been riding for more than an hour now, and they hadn’t spotted any wayward monsters. Given just how many of the beasts had flooded through the gates through Shiganshina, it was rather quiet surprising. Typically this area was thick with the brutes, though not nearly enough as to be unmanageable. But for them all to have simply moved off somewhere else...was troubling. 

“Something’s not right here…” Commander Erwin Smith said as he looked around, surveying the sky for any smoke flares.

Captain Levi continued to ride alongside him, his horse easily keeping pace with the rest of his commander’s retinue. The dark haired man wouldn’t admit it, but he shared Erwin’s concerns. Their expedition into Titan held territory was going far smoother than any previous operations.

“Do you think that beam of light has something to do with this?” Levi asked, checking his horse’s speed to fall in step with that of his commander’s.

“Maybe...that sort of thing has never happened before. Perhaps it drew them away from our route?”

“If that’s the case, it could bode ill for us. Those Titans had to go somewhere.”

“That’s what I’m worried about. If we run headlong into a horde...the Corps could suffer catastrophic losses.”

Levi merely grunted in response. Keeping conversations short and succinct was wise when riding full speed; after all, biting through one’s tongue would be a foolish mistake. However, the young captain had also been paying attention to the horizon and watched as a red smoke flare trailed high into the sky.

Finally, a Titan had been spotted.

Without skipping a beat, Erwin grabbed a green smoke cartridge and slotted it onto the end of his flare gun. He transferred the device into his left hand and fired it up into the sky; creating a vibrant green smoke trail that arched over to the left flank; signaling for the rest of the Survey Corps to shift course along the new heading. 

“How many of them do you think are on the right flank?” Levi asked, keeping a careful eye out for anymore signal flares.

“Probably only one or two, you know how these things go.”

“Yeah...one or two...then three or four; and then a whole swarm.”

Erwin simply stared onwards and shook his head, letting out a dark chuckle.

Humanity knew so little about the Titans; to the point where how to kill them only became common knowledge within the past decade. Cutting out the nape of the neck seemed to be the only surefire way to put one of the maneaters down, and that sort of precision required years of dedicated training and physical conditioning to pull off. That, and a special device known as the 3D Maneuver Gear.

A rather recent invention; the Three Dimensional Maneuver Gear was specifically developed to engage Titans in thickly wooded areas or in urban environments. It consisted of a full body harness, two large canisters of compressed gas and a pair of hand grips. These grips doubled as sword hilts, capable of holding razor sharp blades over 4 feet in length to aid in cutting down the Titan menace. This was standard operating equipment among every branch of the Military, though for obvious reasons the Survey Corps were the most proficient in the weapon system.

However, other various forms of neck damage could also kill a Titan outright. For example, a high explosive shell fired at a Titan’s head could potentially explode close enough to the neck to put one of the monsters down. But given how inaccurate heavy artillery was; using cannons against the Titan menace was rather ineffective. Some ordinance like Grapeshot could guarantee a hit, but unless fired at close range the effect was negligible due to how quickly Titans regenerated from small wounds.

For that same reason, handheld firearms were deemed useless when it came to combatting the beasts. No musket volley; no matter how accurate or devastating had ever scored a kill on a Titan. At best, muskets could be used to blind them; nothing more. Thus, only the Military Police maintained large stores of firearms to keep the peace. Afterall, nothing dispersed a crowd like a well drilled line of infantry. Lately though; rumors had begun to crop up about Police Brigades armed with both guns and 3D Maneuver Gear carrying out various political assassinations…

Of course it was likely to be a load of nonsensical drivel spouted by drunken peasants, but if the rumors were true…

“Commander! Black flare on the left flank!” One of Erwin’s lieutenants shouted, pointing towards the column of thick, oily smoke that flew through the sky.

The Commander blinked. What rotten luck...their second beast of the day had either already broken through the perimeter forces...or was an Abnormal. Unlike regular Titans, Abnormal or Aberrant Titans were extremely unpredictable; moving and behaving erratically. As such, they were incredibly dangerous; though thankfully rare at the same time.

“What’s your money on?” One of Erwin’s guards asked, looking around as the Commander reached down for a smoke shell.

“Probably just some Titan that fell asleep behind a house. I doubt that any Abnor-what the hell!?” Another man started before cutting himself off and raising his hands to shield his face.

The sky sundering lance of orange light had once again pierced the very belly of the heavens, tearing through the clouds and turning day into night. Every man and woman within the Survey Corps stared upwards in awe and terror; faced with a completely alien event. Both Levi and Erwin stared at the beam of light, their faces unreadable masks as they analyzed the situation.

Then, the very gates of hell opened.

Great balls of fire came screaming out of the starry sky, landing with thundering tumultuous crashes. Columns of dirt and burning grasses were thrown high into the sky as molten slabs of metal rained down upon the Survey Corps, smashing man and beast alike into nothing more than fine red paste. It was complete and utter pandemonium; the entirety of the formation broke and scattered, disrupted by the firestorm. 

The screams of horses and their riders echoed throughout the rolling plains as they were felled by the fiery wrath of the heavens. And if that wasn’t enough. Dozens of red and black smoke flares blasted up into the sky. 

Titans.

The seeds of chaos had already been sown amidst the scattered forces of the Survey Corps, and the beasts had been drawn in to reap the bloody fruit of this catastrophe. Riders who had been thrown by their horses were easily snatched up and consumed, their blood staining the jaws of the massive beasts as they milled about at their leisure.

A massive, 15-meter class Titan came charging in through the smoke towards Erwin and his entourage, prompting the commander’s staff into decisive action. They engaged their 3D Maneuver Gears and leapt from their steeds to dispatch the horrid monstrosity. After a matter of moments the beast fell to the ground, lifeless as it’s blood flowed through the grass.

Just as quickly though, one of Erwin’s comrades was snatched from the air by a massive hand. Before anyone could react, the poor young woman was decapitated as a Titan’s guillotine like jaws cleaved through her neck. Her death was quickly avenged however as Captain Levi sailed through the air and carved a bloody channel out of the giant’s neck; ending it’s life once and for all.

“Commander, we’re getting torn apart here.” Levi grunted, cleansing his blades in his customary fashion; seemingly unfazed by the chaos and carnage that played out all around him.

“Sound the retreat, we can’t lose the entirety of the Corps.” Erwin replied, wheeling his horse around. Levi nodded in acknowledgement before grabbing a horn to sound a single, somber note that carried through the dust and bloodshed. Afterwards, the Commander fired off a green smoke flare towards home, signaling all the surviving members of the expedition to turn tail and head back towards the walls.

Despite the horror and chaos, the Corps withdrew in the manner with which they were trained, leaving the dead, dying and stranded behind as they galloped away; once more driven off by the Titan menace.

* * *

**Unknown Forerunner Shield World**

Everything was dark. An icy chill gripped his body. Was he dead? No...John could still feel the tips of his fingers; tiny jolts of pain and numbness that raced up his arm. The Master Chief struggled to pull himself back from black abyss around him, clenching his armored fist tightly. An electric sensation wracked his mind as he forced his eyes open, staring blankly at the sky for several seconds. His head throbbed terribly, but he clenched his teeth and pushed through the pain; trying to sit up. 

He couldn’t move...was his armor still locked? The Spartan blinked and shifted his arm. No; the MJOLNIR was responding just fine. After a cursory glance towards his chest; the Master Chief saw the source of the problem. A heavy slab of titanium had fallen on top of him; likely part of the Forward Unto Dawn’s outer hull. Reaching up, he braced one hand against the armored plate before shoving it off of him; sending the metal flying back at least a few yards before slowly getting to his feet.

The Spartan looked about, still slightly dazed from the trauma induced by his unconventional atmospheric reentry. His ears rang and he felt as though he wanted to vomit, likely from a concussion. However, after checking his vitals he ascertained that nothing was broken. He might have torn a muscle upon impact, but otherwise he was green. With the Chief’s famous luck holding, it wasn’t long before he spotted his MA5C assault rifle on the ground nearby.

He immediately scooped it up, checking over the weapon to see if it was still in working condition. To his surprise the rifle's casing was only slightly scorched, and still in perfect working order. The durability of the MA5 series of rifles was legendary amongst the armed forces throughout its long 50 years of service with the UNSC, but surviving atmospheric reentry was something that even the most diehard marines would view as improbable.

"Where are we?" The Master Chief asked as his HUD flickered slightly. He worried for a moment that Cortana had been damaged further by the crash, but soon her comforting voice filled his ears, drowning out the effects of the concussion.

"Checking coordinate impact data-  _ We have asked you to give up your family, your childhood, your future." _ Cortana replied strangely as the Chief's HUD went haywire.

John shook his head, confused for a moment before yanking the AI's crystal data chip out of the back of his helmet. She took her human form, her body flickering wildly for a moment. 

"Cortana…" the Chief said, looking down at his longtime friend as she shifted uncomfortably.

"I'm sorry. It's the crash. I'm fine." She said as John continued to stare at her. 

"Something was wrong even before we left the  _ Dawn _ ." He replied as Cortana's form began to distort once more.

"Chief, really, I'm fine." She said, her voice cutting out slightly. The Master Chief looked towards the ground.

"Cortana…"

Cortana sighed sadly. "I was put into service eight years ago."

"Eight years…"

"AIs deteriorate after seven, Chief."

John’s head snapped back up to stare at Cortana, as if alarmed.

"Halsey." He said, his voice showing a tinge of desperation.

"Chief…"

"We need to find Halsey."

"Chief, please."

"She made you. She can fix you!"

"I won't recover from rampancy, Chief." Cortana said sadly as she gazed into the opaque golden visor that concealed her friend's face.

John stood up straight, staring into Cortana's holographic eyes.

"If we could just get back to Earth, and find Halsey, she could fix this." He said, his voice filled with clear, unshaken conviction that caused Cortana to falter for a moment.

"Don't make a girl a promise you can't keep..."

Suddenly, a massive yellow blip appeared on the Master Chief’s motion tracker; drawing both his and Cortana’s attention to their surroundings.

“Chief, we’ve got movement…”

John quickly checked his 6 ‘o clock, making sure that it was clear of any potential hostiles before cautiously moving towards the contact that had appeared on his motion tracker. The idea that some beast could be lurking around the Dawn’s wreckage seemed odd...after all, almost every form of wildlife in the galaxy would be driven off by such a commotion. The fact that anything could be drawn to such a fresh wreck bode ill for the future.

After a few seconds the Spartan detected movement out of the corner of his eye and quickly leveled his rifle towards its source. A massive pale hand gripped the glowing wreckage seemingly without care as a gigantic grotesque head peered out over the shattered hull. 

“What the hell is that? It...almost looks human…” Cortana said, seemingly deeply disturbed by the sight of such a horrifically ugly creature.

The creature’s jaws were impossibly wide and filled with an unnerving number of flat, incisor like teeth. The garrish smile with which it affixed John might have frozen any other man in their place; but a Spartan was no ordinary trooper. The Master Chief quickly made several observations as the lumbering giant moved to bar his path; towering over the super soldier.

At 9 meters, the first image to cross the Chief's mind was that of a giant, but even then it didn't quite match up. The strange, twisted proportions and bulging potbelly of a gut should have made locomotion impossible for such a large creature. Either way it was huge and menacing...but hadn’t yet proved itself to be a threat…

The beast lunged, it’s spindly arms snaking out to try and snatch the Spartan off of the ground; but the Chief was already on guard. He quickly rolled out of the way and snapped his assault rifle up to target the monstrosities eyes. He needed no further prompting and fired a quick burst into the creature’s exposed face; sending a hailstorm of 7.62x51mm FMJ tearing through its body.

The monster reached up and clutched at its face in apparent agony...but it did not fall. That was perplexing, as John had yet to an alien who’s skull could shrug off bullets. However, given that the creature was now blinded, the Spartan took this opportunity to make himself scarce.

But then something else grabbed John’s attention. A familiar sound that echoed through the back of his mind like a spectre. A noise that he’d heard many times over the course of his career...

A terrified woman’s scream.

The Master Chief whipped around and immediately saw a small, human form shivering on the ground, backpedaling quickly as another deformed giant bore down upon her. The woman seemed to be struggling with something at her waist, tugging and hammering frantically on what appeared to be a metal canister strapped to her hip.

The Master Chief didn't even blink as he fired off another sustained burst from his MA5C, emptying the rest of it’s ammunition into the creature's face. The strange beast roared as it turned its attention to him, allowing the small humanoid it had been after to roll to safety as the Chief charged in, slamming a fresh magazine into his rifle.

The monstrosity attempted to lunge for him as the other had before, but trying to catch a SPARTAN-II was like trying to grab an angry mosquito with nothing but a pair of tweezers. He slipped away like smoke between the giant’s fingers as he rolled clear.

In retaliation, John leapt over the beast’s hand and landed upon it’s wrist...hard. Bones snapped and fractured as the weight of a fully armored Spartan crashed against flesh. The monster howled in pain as the Master Chief grabbed an M9 Fragmentation Grenade from his belt and lunged at the creature’s mangled face.

The Spartan’s armored fist smashed through the creature’s right eye, shoving the grenade as far as he could manage before priming it and launching himself away. Surprisingly, the beast immediately attempted to attack the Chief once more despite the apparent agony it’s previous facial injuries had given it. However, before the blow could fall there was a loud explosion as the grenade detonated.

In a brief flash of light and smoke the monstrosities’ head literally burst like a ripe melon. Skull fragments and globs of grey matter rained down over the  _ Forward Unto Dawn’s _ wreckage, staining it with gore. John merely grunted as he observed his bloody handiwork before turning his attention towards the young woman who stared at him with wide eyed bewilderment.

* * *

Hanji Zoe gulped audibly as the strange being turned its gaze towards her. The featureless golden mask that accompanied its stare did little to assuage her fear or nerves. She quickly glanced down at her 3D Maneuver Gear, wishing for the hundredth time in the past hour that the technology hadn't been so easy to damage. Armed with only her two, razor sharp blades she turned to face the oncoming menace...only to realize that it was standing mere feet away. 

No creature could move that fast, and given how powerful and massive this thing was...could it possibly be a new form of Titan? That would explain its size, strength and ferocity...but not the calmness with which it now regarded her.

Her eyes rapidly darted about, making associations and guesses in equal measure. Thick armored plates, green in coloration...black skin underneath. Armor natural? No...too angular and regular in pattern. All too clearly metal of some sort. Had Titans learned how to forge metal? No, they never displayed the intelligence or manual dexterity needed to use tools.

Hanji quickly focused on what she at first assumed was the creature’s skin...until she saw it shift as the being drew closer. She could clearly make out recurring patterns across the surface, hexagonal in nature. Far too rigid and uniform to be natural...was it some sort of fabric? Either she was looking at a well dressed titan...or a massive human being.

Or maybe she was thinking about things too logically. Hell, fire had literally just rained from the sky and she was still thinking about rather mundane explanations for this creature’s existence. Was it an angel? Or gods forbid...a demon? Or was it some...titan-human-demon hybrid that crawled out of the festering pits of hell?

That still wouldn’t explain its use of seemingly advanced firearms and handheld explosives. Her ears still rang from the trauma inflicted upon her hearing by the rapid fire weapon. The tingling sensation in her hands and cheeks did not vanish either, and she recalled how the very air itself seemed to shiver and tear itself apart with each barking rapport the gun had issued...

It took Hanji several seconds to realize that the armored figure was standing only a foot away now, regarding her with a blank stare. Her heart hammered in her chest. She had been lost in her thoughts for so long that she had failed to realize the creature had closed the distance and simply affixed her with it’s gaze. It was so close that she could reach out and touch it!

She did reach out and touch it…

Warm metal greeted her fingers, and a moment later something wrapped around her wrist. A massive hand. Her heart leapt up into her throat as she stared up at the golden mask, hoping for some hint of humanity to reveal itself behind that opaque surface.

**_“Are you alright?”_ **

Hanji blinked. It had just tried to communicate with her!

“Y-you can talk?!” She asked, her voice quivering with both excitement and astonishment. Though she hadn’t understood the language with which this being spoke; the fact that it had bothered to say anything at all sent waves of relief flooding through her tired, battered body.

After a moment though, Hanji’s nervousness returned. She recalled the journal she recovered during the last expedition belonging to a wayward Survey Corps member. This poor soul had encountered a Titan that spoke with her for a few short minutes before biting off her head and stuffing her body into the hollowed out stump of a tree.

_ Just because it speaks doesn’t mean it’s friendly… _

**_“Do you understand me?”_ **

Once again the figure’s voice crashed over her, causing a static jolt to race up her spine. There was something about the way it spoke...that deep, resonating gravelly tone that was both electrifying...yet calming at the same time.

Body language...she had to look for body language. Calm, yet alert and attentive...yet despite this she knew that the creature could lunge forwards and tear her head off within the blink of an eye.

The being’s head snapped upwards and quickly looked around. Behind it, Hanji saw the Titan it had blinded slowly start to stand; it’s eyes having fully regenerated. The armored creature stared at it for a moment before yanking her off her feet.

**_“We need to move.”_ **

Hanji yelped as she was dragged through the debris field, struggling with the armored beast’s iron grip...but it was no use. Her mind raced as she kicked and fought, losing one of her boots in the process. Was she about to find out how Titans made more Titans? Was she about to be torn limb from limb? Her mind drifted to even darker places, filling her with dread as her shrieks became more shrill…

And then the being let go. Hanji fell onto her back and quickly scrambled away from the armored figure; terrified of what it might do. And then she saw the vehicle. It looked like a giant metal cart with black wheels...but no hitch for horses to drag it. She frowned and sat up, watching as the beast reached down and wrapped it’s fingers around the bottom edge of the cart. 

A moment later the hulking behemoth flipped the wagon back up onto its wheels before sliding into front left hand seat. It shot a glance over at her before making a motion towards itself...wait; she recognized what that meant. It wanted her to get in the cart? She frowned and almost shook her head...and then her curiosity overcame her.

Despite the obvious language barrier and the terrible danger with which she found herself surrounded by; Hanji let her inquisitive nature get the better of her. She quickly clambered into the passenger’s seat and stared at the armored being, not sure what it’s intentions were.

“Okay I’m in...what happens now? There’s no horse to pull the-”

Before she could finish speaking, the creature reached down and pushed a button of some sort underneath what looked like the cart’s steering mechanism. A loud rumbling filled the air, and Hanji suddenly felt her feet vibrating against the metal interior of the wagon. Then, without warning the cart surged forwards, it’s wheels kicking up dust and blood as it roared up the side of the crater.

Hanji gripped the railing welded to the side of the vehicle as her heart dropped into her stomach, her eyes wide with shock. 

A self propelled wagon!? What sort of technology was this?! They were going faster than a horse! Excitement and wonder overwhelmed the young woman as she stared slack jawed; watching as the wagon simply ate up the terrain in front of it. No titan could possibly hope to catch up to this thing.

If the Survey Corps could replace their horses with these things...they might be able to significantly lower the death toll of their branch. The thought was comforting. Despite the major losses and being abandoned by her companions, Hanji smiled. They hadn’t died in vain after all...this wasn’t a wasted expedition, this wasn’t even a failure anymore. This was a chance for something far greater than anyone had ever imagined.

With her conscience now clear and a weight lifted from her heart, Hanji reached into her cloak and pulled out a small field journal and a piece of charcoal. She turned towards the armored being currently spiriting her away from hell; her glasses flashing in the morning sun.

“What are you?”


	4. Chapter 3: On the Steel Horse I Ride

**On The Steel Horse I ride**

**Unknown Forerunner Shield World**

* * *

John-117 kept his foot on the accelerator, watching as the FAV blazed through rolling grassy knolls and wide open plains. The massive 4 wheel drive vehicle was affectionately dubbed the "Warthog" by UNSC ground forces due to the sheer size of it’s front mounted tow-hooks, giving it the appearance of having giant tusks. In the hands of an inexperienced operator, the Warthog was temperamental and hard to handle; but with an veteran driver at the helm it performed like a dream, easily able to drift around large boulders and smash through obstacles without slowing down in the slightest.

Although the M12 was capable of sustaining speeds of over 78/mph, the Spartan kept the speedometer between 40 and 45/mph. After all there was no point in wasting fuel on a long range scouting mission; for while finding more was no issue, refueling in hostile territory certainly was.

The Master Chief wasn’t particularly concerned about being forced into combat for his own sake, but his passenger certainly wouldn’t be able to fight off the deformed monstrosities that prowled the area. It was only his speed and reflexes that had enabled him to dispatch the horrors with ease, as well as the bizarre tactical errors on behalf of his opposition. The young woman riding in the seat next to him simply stood no chance out here on her own.

Of course, she hadn’t initially been alone if the corpses of both men and horses were anything to go by; but those were far behind them now. Clearly she had been riding with a significant host before the Forward Unto Dawn’s wreckage decimated them. However, despite the losses the formation that had retreated still contained a rather large number of riders. These souls had broken off and turned north, apparently in a disciplined tactical withdrawal.

A great swathe of grass and torn up earth marked the path of the retreating force...a path which the Master Chief was currently following. 

“This trail is an hour or two old Chief...we should be able to catch up to them relatively soon.” Cortana said softly, analyzing the destruction before her.

“I’d prefer to shadow them…” John replied, casting a glance over at their passenger.

“That would probably be the safer option. We have no idea how they ended up here in the first place. Under normal circumstances I’d put my money on Insurrectionists or victims of a shipwreck...but they aren’t speaking any language known to the UNSC.” The AI said, puzzled.

“Can you decipher it?”

“Yes, but it’ll take some time...I have no real frame of reference for their linguistics; and I was built to decrypt alien languages. Even so, there is something that almost feels familiar about it.”

John remained silent for a few minutes, concentrating on the open terrain ahead of him. It wouldn’t be difficult to spot the roving creatures, but the Spartan made sure to avoid straying too close to any stands of trees or abandoned houses. After all, there was no telling what could be laying in wait to ambush them.

The path of the retreating force suddenly vanished over the horizon, indicating that there was a dip in the terrain up ahead. The Master Chief slowly brought the Warthog down to a snail’s pace until he was able to spot the rushing water of a broad stream flowing through the landscape, deep hoof-prints and the distinctive tread of wagon wheels clearly visible along both banks. The mud was torn up and scattered about, water partially seeping into the tracks.

Still fresh.

The Spartan was in his element as the Warthog suddenly surged forwards, cutting a foaming swathe through through the turbulent flow as it plunged onward, hardly slowed by the fast moving current as it roared up the other side of the bank and continued it's break pace into the unknown. The Chief's passenger was faring rather differently as the vehicle hurtled over a fallen tree, bouncing on it's suspension as shattered branches and splinters of wood cascaded into the air.

The woman gave a startled cry and reached up to shield her face with her cloak, her other hand gripping the central rung hanging from the Warthog’s roll cage. Water sloshed around by her feet and her clothing was speckled with damp spots, to which bits of wood dust and dirt clung. She coughed and readjusted her glasses from where they had been knocked half off of her face, glaring at the Spartan in the process.

The young woman muttered something under her breath, though the intended message was lost due to the language barrier that existed between her and her rescuers.

“Strange...there’s something I recognize in her language...but at the same time I can’t quite put my finger on it…” Cortana said, frowning internally. She wasn’t sure if she should feel frustrated, or slightly disturbed...this young woman filled the AI with a sense of unease for some reason.

“Keep working on it.” John said, nodding slightly as he kept driving.

A moment later though, the Spartan spotted something out of the corner of his eye...a glimpse of olive green. He swiftly brought the Warthog around to the left, swerving off the path. The Warthog slowed to a gradual stop and the Chief dismounted, his heavily armored form disappearing into the brush without a word to his passenger.

* * *

Hanji blinked slowly, wondering why the armored man had stopped the carriage. She had drawn the conclusion that her mysterious rescuer was at least partially human some time ago, as any Titan would have killed her on the spot...and any demon likely would have left her to a grisly fate. Mostly though, it was the far flung hope that he might help Mankind in its fight against the Titan Scourge that lead her to believe in his humanity.

However, stopping in the heart of Titan territory was certainly something that most people would avoid doing if they could possibly help it. After all, it was easy for the beasts to spot someone on open ground...but the nonchalant nature with which the man had hopped out of the horseless wagon gave her some measure of confidence. He clearly wasn’t afraid of the Titans, though he kept a sharp eye out for any movement.

After a few minutes he came back, dragging a heavy looking green crate along with him. Hanji cocked her head to the side, frowning slightly. She’d never seen a container like that before...all of the Expedition’s supplies were either stored in wooden crates or barrels, none of which looked like this painted metal. She started to swing her legs out of the wagon when the mysterious behemoth held up a hand, motioning for her to stay...or at least, that’s what she thought he meant.

Hanji sat there, puzzled for a moment before suddenly flinching as the massive man slammed his fist against one of the green panels, causing it to buckle and fall away to the ground. Regaining her senses, Hanji quickly looked around in alarm, hoping that nothing had heard them. The landscape around them echoed for a moment, and then silence. They were safe...for the moment.

Her worry soon turned to fascination as the giant man began to pull strange looking muskets out of the crate. They shone like polished silver, glinting in the light of the midday sun. They looked nothing like the simplistic firearms utilized by the Military Police, with matte black stocks and what looked to be a padded grip underneath the barrel. Several ridges of metal popped up along the length of the barrel; two in the back and a single one in the front...both of which seemed to glow a soft, ghostly blue. Some sort of advanced ironsight perhaps?

Hanji quickly fumbled around in her cloak for a moment, patting herself down until she dug a long piece of charcoal and a leather bound journal out of several different pouches. With everything in order she feverishly began to write, quickly drawing out different glyphs as she put her observations to paper.

She started out with a quick, shorthand description of the events that lead up to her encounter with the strange human.

_ 56th Expedition log- _

_ 3 hours after launch, orange light appeared in sky, followed by fiery debris. Survey Corps decimated and forced to withdraw, I was left behind. _

_ Was forced to fend for myself for an hour, hiding as Titans devoured the corpses. Soon came for me. Withdrew further into debris field (metal wreckage, never seen before) Was cornered and nearly killed. _

_ Saved by strange armored figure, possesses speed and reflexes akin to a 3DMG user in the air. Subject possesses no such maneuver gear, exceedingly strong and fast on their own. Technologically advanced. _

_ Dispatched one Titan with hand held explosives (Potential research project) other blinded with advanced repeating firearm. Subject attempted communication in unknown language, could not appropriately respond. Dragged me to horseless wagon. _

_ Wagon requires no animal and yet is faster that any of our horses; seek adaptation to our own use. Metal body, heavy but fast and maneuverable (A bit loud though) Likely requires advanced training to operate.  _

_ 30 minutes after rescue- _

_ Subject pulled wagon over near high scrub, retrieved advanced weapons crate. More firearms, unknown purpose or origin. Large bore with odd ironsights, dubious value against Titans. Anti-Personnel?  _

Hanji was about to start another string of short-handed sentences when she heard a dull ‘thunk’ from between her feet. She looked down, watching a gauntleted hand retreating from where it had deposited several smaller metal boxes between her boots. She blinked, fascinated before drawing the symbols she found printed on the small crates.

_ 180 Cartridges  _

_ Soellkraft 8 Gauge Magnum _

_ 0000 Buckshot _

Hanji wondered what those strange symbols might mean. She of course didn’t recognize them, but she could tell that they weren’t handwritten. They seemed to be printed in yellow ink which stood out remarkably well against the dark green backdrop of the crate. Clearly it had to be some sort of supply container, but what could possibly be inside it-

Hanji’s thoughts were interrupted by a sudden tugging sensation at her fingers, and before she even knew what was happening her journal was torn from her hands. The Survey Corps member let out a shrill cry of alarm as her armored savior held her book aloft, far out of her reach.

* * *

“Asking nicely as usual I see.” Cortana quipped with a soft smile, glad to see that some of John’s old habits hadn’t died. 

“Don’t I always?” the Chief shot back, shaking his head slightly in bemusement. Even though Spartans were ostensibly emotionless killing machines, 117 could be rather snarky when he wanted to be. 

The Spartan quickly began to flip through the pages of the young woman’s journal, ignoring her cries of protest and her attempts to pummel him. Clearly she had no concept of UNSC law, as attempting to harm a Spartan was grounds for immediate summary execution without trial. This only served to strengthen Cortana’s theory that whomever she was, this young woman knew nothing of the UNSC. Her apparent fascination with the Warthog, her unfamiliar and nervous attitude towards driving, her primitive clothing...it all pointed to her being far removed from any point of reference the AI could think of.

“Cortana, can you copy each of these pages?” The Spartan asked, starting to rapidly flip through the leather-bound tome. The little woman screamed at him all the while, making constant and desperate attempts to retrieve her journal. John simply ignored her and continued to thumb through the book. Cortana rapidly took images of each page, archiving and backing them up so she could analyze them at her leisure. Once she was finished the AI sighed and gave a slight chuckle, trying to feel like her old self.

“Alright, you can give it back now.” She said as the Master Chief snapped the journal closed and gently handed it back to its owner who immediately snatched it away and held it tightly to her chest. She glared daggers at the Spartan and clenched her book jealously; clearly not happy with the augmented human standing before her. John ignored her once again and climbed back into the M12, the suspension sinking heavily beneath his weight for a moment before springing back up into place. 

“Learn anything?” The Master Chief asked as he punched the ignition, causing the Warthog’s engine to rumble to life once more. Cortana stayed silent, contemplating as she flicked through the copied pages. She began to rapidly cross reference her entire library, but even for such an advanced AI it would take her several minutes to reach a satisfactory conclusion. 

“Working on it Chief, just keep moving. I’ll let you know when I have something.” Cortana said curtly, dedicating a great deal of her processing to the effort. The Spartan grunted and hit the gas, rapidly moving to get the Warthog underway once again.

* * *

Hanji clutched her journal tightly, her heart racing within her breast. She couldn’t fathom why her rescuer had snatched up her field notes without warning, much less why he’d only skimmed through them for scant seconds before handing them back to her. It was a bizarre act and only served to put the Survey Corps officer on edge. This...thing was an unknown element, a wildcard that Hanji simply had no reference for. It was fast, efficient and dangerous, yet it continued onwards without so much as a word as the strange horseless carriage rumbled onwards.

Even so, Hanji had to appreciate just how smooth the vehicle felt as it raced through the rolling fields. It’s suspension seemed designed to absorb even the hardest of shocks, and as such she scarcely noticed when they ran over small obstacles. It also seemed to race over large impediments with remarkable ease as well, rolling over or smashing through anything that would have stopped a horse and cart in its tracks. This trait proved to be somewhat uncomfortable to the young woman as her driver repeatedly crashed through half-rotted logs and overgrown fields, but it was a perfect demonstration of what this technology could accomplish.

Hanji opened her journal once again as the strange vehicle hit friendlier terrain, putting her charcoal to paper as she rapidly began to finish her notes and create new ones.

_ Rescuer snatched journal from my hands. Quickly flipped through before returning, not sure what he wanted. Didn’t say anything and started driving again. Carriage is more versatile than I first imagined, immune to obstacles that would stop conventional transport. Recommend immediate R&D. _

_ Verbal attempts at communication have failed. Subject gives hand signals, but I do not know what they mean. Subject clearly has capacity to speak, but does not understand me.  _

Hanji paused for a moment before looking at the next page, contemplating what she might write. Her notes were sparse and undetailed due to the rapid nature of her writing, and anyone who read it might question her after action report if she ever found herself separated from her strange guardian. She began to make a quick detailed sketch of the armored giant, taking advantage of the gentle ride even as the wind snatched at her pages. Hanji was someone used to taking notes in the saddle, this was a piece of cake compared to her regular field work.

After a few minutes she’d roughed out her savior’s armor and was preparing to get started on the details when the self-drawn carriage veered off to the right with a terrible roar, causing Hanji to scream in alarm and drop her field journal. It thumped against the floor between her feet, though her attempts to recover it were immediately thwarted by another hard jerk of the wheel. The young woman desperately clung to the grab handles that lay suspended at various points throughout the vehicle as it pitched and swung crazily from side to side.

“What the hell was that for?!” Hanji snarled, only for that angry growl to catch in her throat. Massive jaws snapped shut mere inches away from her glasses, throwing hot saliva into her face. Giant teeth scythed downwards into a garish grin as a previously unseen Titan hurled itself at the carriage. The young woman yelped in alarm as her guardian cut the wheel sharply once more, tearing her out of the Titan’s striking range. Her journal tumbled around wildly, threatening to bounce out of the vehicle with every jolt as Hanji desperately tried to catch it.

Hanji’s fingers finally closed around the leatherbound spine of the tome and clutched it tightly to her chest, holding herself stead with her free hand as the wagon rocketed forwards, gaining speed. She dared to glance back at her pursuer, only for her blood to run cold with terror. The large beast was sprawled out on all fours like some demented lizard, tearing it’s way across the landscape towards them...and it was gaining. She desperately turned towards the driver and motioned, screaming over the roar of the engine.

“Can’t this thing go any faster?!”

* * *

The Master Chief slowly began to ease up on the throttle, allowing the mutated monstrosity following them to gain some ground. Cortana chirped in his ear, beginning to make observations on the creature as it snapped and lunged, showing no signs of frustration or rage. The single minded, dogged determination it displayed was fascinating to the UNSC AI...and disturbingly familiar. The relentless drive to hunt its prey brought back all too fresh memories of the Flood, of High Charity. She quickly began to analyze the beast as it drew closer, formulating theories and just as swiftly discarding them. Cortana wouldn’t be able to make any real assertions until she’d gotten to take a look at one of the creatures up close...until then all she could do is assess its movement and attack patterns.

“John, slowly draw it in until it attacks. This thing doesn’t seem to have any self restraint; if we can feint it we’ll be in the clear.” Cortana chimed, giving the Master Chief a moment to acknowledge her instructions before going back to her observations. The SPARTAN-II allowed the Warthog to slow and slow until finally the Titan was able to close the distance. It rose up on its haunches, telegraphing a massive leap until it bound into the air, jaws wide. John gunned it, slamming his foot on the accelerator. The vehicle shot away, tearing through the dirt and grass as the Titan slammed into the ground behind them. It was slow to get up and soon it disappeared in the gathering clouds of dust that were thrown up in the Warthog’s wake. They were safe, clear. John relaxed his grip on the steering wheel for a moment and glanced back over at his passenger who was pale with fright. It was clear that she was utterly terrified of the creature that they’d just escaped, but after a few moments she took a deep breath and composed herself. The young woman pushed her glasses back up onto her face and gave the commando an imperious look before quickly going back to her field notes.

“Must have been one of those creatures from the crash site. Cortana, any idea what we’re dealing with?” John asked, keeping his augmented eyes fixed on the path ahead...and on his motion tracker. He wasn’t about to let himself get ambushed again, for while they’d been lucky this time...their next encounter might be a different story. 

“I’m not sure. Basic body structure is that of a baseline human, but the proportions are all wrong. Something of that size shouldn’t be able to move with such speed on spindly legs, yet alone support its own weight. It didn’t act like an animal, an animal would have given up the chase long ago. We’re simply not worth the energy to catch, yet it continued to pursue us with reckless abandon. It reminds me of-”

“The Flood.” John finished, his thoughts flashing back to his encounters with the dangerous parasite. That aggression, that lack of self preservation; traits all too familiar to the Spartan Commando. 

“Yes, though I didn’t detect any signs of Flood infection. The beast must have been rabid; it was acting like a mindless zombie. No forethought, no cunning...just a mindless drive to chase us down. Perhaps our passenger here will be able to enlighten us in the future.” Cortana replied, checking on the subroutines that had been tasked with deciphering the language their mysterious human rider used.

“The other creatures acted the same way. They were drawn to the  _ Dawn _ ’s wreckage when it came down. They barely reacted to weapon’s fire even when I blew one of their heads off.” John interjected, subtly shaking his head. Every member of the species he’d encountered thus far displayed the same primal aggression, the same lack of self regard. They were seemingly immune to his weaponry, even had the ability to regenerate from what he would have considered fatal injury. It gave the Spartan pause.

“Fascinating…” Was Cortana’s only reply as the Warthog drove on, racing through the open grasslands that lay before it.

The strange trio continued on for several long minutes in silence with only the revving of the M12’s engine to keep them company. The sounds of charcoal scribbling against parchment were drowned out by the Warthog’s constant roar, though they remained uninterrupted. Without further disturbances the vehicle’s passenger was free to sketch and take notes in peace, though she quickly glanced around every few minutes to keep an eye out for more pursuers. John ignored her writing, though Cortana made sure to observe the young woman in the event she jotted down anything interesting. The AI was currently making headway with her decryption process, though the results were becoming more and more disturbing. Eventually she moved to grab the Master Chief’s attention, projecting herself onto his HUD.

“John, I’ve been cross referencing our passenger’s journal with my database and I’ve hit upon something. See these?” Cortana asked, causing a series of familiar symbols to flash across John’s screen. Forerunner glyphs cycled in quick succession, quickly followed by the letters and characters from the field notes Cortana had imaged. It took the Spartan a few moments to notice some similarities, something that his companion quickly lent voice to.

“They appear to be simplified Forerunner glyphs, though to an extensive degree. It’s certainly a clever solution, but one that brings troubling answers. To develop a writing system like this would take decades if not centuries. Which can only mean one thing…”

“These people have been here for a long time.” John replied, keeping his foot to the accelerator whilst he monitored the Warthog’s fuel levels. The gauge was creeping steadily towards the empty indicator, though it was not a major concern at this point.

“A very long time. Chief, she’s not speaking any language we currently know of...though I will cross check it with Forerunner dialects to see if I can come up with anything. I’ll keep you posted.” Cortana chirped before growing silent. John cast a glance over towards the young woman riding shotgun once more, taking note of how often she seemed to glance up at him. What did he look like to her? John had never encountered someone from such a primitive society before and in the back of his mind he had to wonder how this woman saw him. It was but a fleeting question however as he returned his thoughts to the task at hand, carefully analyzing his encounters with the strange beasts that wandered the land.

They were too human to be a natural evolution of some creature, yet they lacked any sort of higher cognitive functions that would suggest they were an offshoot of humanity itself. They were a twisted, vile mockery of mankind’s image. Single mindedness, dogged determination, a complete lack of self preservation...they truly did remind John of the Flood. Yet they did not seem to coordinate at all. The Parasite could lead and direct swarms even in it’s primitive early stages, yet even feral creatures showed more cognitive ability than those twisted giants. The demented, deformed monstrosities were something alien in the Spartan’s experience, yet just familiar enough to make him uneasy.

The Chief glanced down at the Warthog’s fuel gauge, noting that it was nearing the red. He quickly surveyed the terrain up ahead and spotted a rise in the rolling hills. He switched gears and powered up the slope, the M12’s tires digging into the hillside as it made its way up. Upon reaching the top he brought the vehicle to a stop, throwing it into park as he swiftly observed the area. The high ground held a commanding view of the surrounding countryside, including something that stood out above everything else. A massive walls stood in the distance, towering hundreds of feet into the air stretched and as far as the eye could see. 

“Cortana.” John said, nodding to indicate his interest in the gargantuan defensive structure. His helmet mounted camera zoomed in as far as it could, magnifying the walls enough for the Spartan’s keen vision to pick out key details. There were no crenelations, no battlements upon the walls that he could see. Large reinforced bulwarks broke up the wall at several intervals, strengthening those relative sections and providing structural support to the stone around them. The fortifications were vast in scope, likely insurmountable for any primitive foe and might prove a challenge for even the UNSC if they lacked air support.

“I see. Strange, there’s nothing to suggest that those walls were built to defend against human attackers. I’m sure you’ve noticed the distinct lack of merlons and crenels, clearly they’re not worried about missile fire. And are those...artillery pieces on the walls? It’s difficult to make out at this distance, but they could make approaching a risky proposition.” Cortana stated, seemingly just as perplexed as her Spartan partner. John sighed and shook his head, not prepared to deal with those questions at the moment as he hopped out of the vehicle. He moved around towards the rear of the Warthog and grabbed a gas can, intent on refueling the FAV before moving on.

* * *

Hanji smiled happily, relief flooding through her as she gazed upon the Wall Rose off in the distance. Home and safety were now only a few miles away; thoughts of a warm bath and a hot meal flooding her mind. Her debriefing would be an exciting one as well, detailing her escape from the Titans and her observations on her rescuer. If only she could somehow sneak him past the walls...perhaps she’d be able to convince him to stay put and ride back out with an escort, though that left the problem of covering that remaining distance herself. Hanji shook her head and glanced back at her field journal, noting just how much a pickle she seemed to be in. The young woman jotted these thoughts down, waging an internal debate on how to handle her savior.

There was no way the Survey Corps could subdue this armored behemoth, though judging by his temperament they might not need to. Whoever he was, he certainly was cooperative, helpful even despite the fact he snatched her journal earlier. Even with the language barrier that existed between them she might be able to persuade her benevolent guardian to join forces with her organization. It was a long shot, but it had to be worth it. The potential gains were far too tempting to pass up. The ability to rove over great stretches of land with such speed and endurance was invaluable enough in of itself.. The potential research avenues that studying it’s weaponry might bring could also change the course of armament design. All in all, it was her duty to present her evidence and her rescuer to the top brass.

With a yawn of content Hanji her clasped hands together, lifting her arms high over her head to pop her elbows and relieve the crick in her neck that she had developed during the rough journey. She turned her eyes to the blue sky above, happy to rest for this brief moment of peace as the clouds raced overhead. They seemed unaffected by gravity's meager pull as the wind caressed her cheek, slowly but surely beginning to dull her senses as she drifted off into thought. Her mind wandered, diving deep into the unexplored possibilities that his newcomer might bring.

Images of self propelled wagons filled her mind, each emblazoned with Survey Corps livery. Steel contraptions rolled forth in the long range scouting formation, throwing up clouds of dust in their wake. Green smoke flares arched high into the sky, causing the entire formation to cleanly swerve and switch directions, racing past the Titans who now had no hope of catching them. A smile crept across Hanji’s lips once more, turning the corners of her mouth upwards at the thought. So much could change...humanity had a chance. A real fighting chance.

A loud, rumbling crash of thunder cut through the silence, shattering it and jolting Hanji out of her drowsy state. She almost slammed her head into metal panel before her, stopping at the last second as her charcoal stick flew out of her hands. To her surprise the young woman’s savior was already on the move, starting up the engine as he vaulted over the back of the carriage and into the driver's seat with the grace of a cat.

"What was that?" Hanji asked, scanning the area around them before looking ahead. A cold bead of dread dropped into the pit of her stomach as an icy lance of fear raced down her spine. A great pillar of smoke was rising from the Wall Rose, swaddling the towering form of a nightmare in it's dark clutches.

A massive amalgamation of bare flesh and bones stood in the distance, renewing terrible memories of days past. After four long years the Colossal Titan had returned... and it was already poised to attack. The gargantuan beast brought its leg back,swinging the great limb until it began to race forwards. It slowly gained speed and momentum before smashing the reinforced gatehouse below, punching a hole clear through mankind’s only defense against the Titan onslaught. The crash resounded for miles around, reaching Hanji's ears as a sharp, rumbling 'crack' as the masonry was torn asunder. Hanji’s heart sank as the terrified screams of her people drifted towards her upon the wind, echoing through very soul.

Hanji turned to her rescuer with haunted eyes as her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth.

"The Titans have breached Wall Rose." She said grimly, clutching her journal with a white-knuckled grip.

  
  


The armored man was already in motion, letting the cart roll down the face of the hill towards the destruction ahead. Hanji took a deep breath as she gripped a nearby bar with her free hand, squeezing the metal for comfort as the horseless wagon took off towards danger. For what it was worth, her savior wasn’t afraid of a fight...but Hanji just hoped this day wouldn’t be Mankind’s last.


	5. Chapter 4: Battle for Trost: Part 1

**The Battle of Trost: First Wave**

**Town of Trost; Wall Rose – Year 850**

* * *

The breaking of dawn was swift and gentle. The sun crept over the distant horizon, bathing the rolling hills in a warm glow as the darkness of night slowly receded. Quaint farmhouses cast long shadows over patchwork fields, their residents already moving to begin their day. Peasants milled about, tending endless waves of grain and vast rows of corn that stretched across the horizon. It was a world of green, the smell of damp earth dominating the countryside. Yet waking up in a rural hamlet was a far cry from dwelling in the border towns.

Those narrow streets were jam-packed with houses, a teeming, seething mass of humanity that lay beneath the shadows of Wall Rose. As hubs of trade and commerce they were the focal points of Mankind's economy; the hungry hands that received the breadbaskets produced by outlying farmland. These sealed protrusions served as the crux of an elaborate defensive doctrine, calling in Titans from far and wide. This in turn concentrated mankind's enemies into a single, focused point that could be easily defended from the unending hordes of giant monstrosities.

As mindless beasts Titans were drawn towards any large grouping of humans, meaning that whilst life in a border town was safe, it did not come without a hint of risk. The residents of these districts served as live and unwitting bait, irresistible lures that shone like beacons in an ocean fog. Any breach to the walls surrounding one of these towns would lead to countless casualties as civilians and military personnel fought tooth and nail to stem the tide of deformed horrors. It had only happened once, some four years past...but it was a specter that loomed large within the minds of any town's inhabitants.

Sunlight crept upon the white-washed buildings of Trost, slowly rousing the town's inhabitants from their slumber. The soft radiant glow penetrated bedroom windows and flooded the eyes of groggy townspeople who were reluctant to leave the warmth of their sheets behind. Adults grumbled and muttered, some of whom turned their backs to the new day in favor of further shuteye. But for one young girl, this was to be a very special day.

Eliza Hawthorne yawned, rising from her bed with a sleepy expression upon her face. Copper curls fell about her shoulders, shimmering with fiery abandon in the morning's early rays. Her green eyes fluttered open before her prodding fingers moved to rub the grit and grime from her face. The young girl looked about blankly for a few moments, gazing out her window before gasping with delight.

"It's my birthday! Yes!" She cried out, pumping her fist into the air excitedly as her door slowly creaked open. A set of pale fingers curled around the edge, pushing the door further to admit her mother into the room. Of light build and a tall frame; Cara Hawthorne was a comely young woman with the same blazing locks as her daughter, and her tired smile beamed with warmth at the sight of her ecstatic child.

"Happy Birthday my dear!" The young woman said, holding out a small parcel wrapped in old newspaper. "It's not every day that you turn six years old, I hope you like it."

Eliza snatched the package eagerly, tearing the old newspaper to shreds and revealing a layer of soft, fluffy brown fabric beneath it. The little girl grinned and pulled a small stuffed bear out of mess, eagerly hugging the animal to her chest. She adored presents, especially ones given to her by family.

"Thanks mom…but where's dad?" The young girl asked, looking about the room for any sign of her father. He'd been so busy lately…

Eliza's mother gave her daughter a slight frown and stepped forwards, gently cradling her daughter's hands within her own. She carefully rubbed her thumbs over the back of her palms, slowly shaking her head. "Daddy had to work today, I'm sorry Eliza. He wanted to be here, but the Garrison needs him." Cara said, kneeling down next to the young girl's bed.

Eliza cast her eyes to the ground, feeling a slight sting in the back of her throat. She clutched at her bear, squeezing it tightly. Her eyes itched and she fought the urge to cry for a moment. It was a weak, passing impulse that rapidly faded as she sniffled slightly and let out a soft sigh. "I-I understand…I just wanted him to be here."

Cara crouched low to embrace Eliza, sweeping her child up in her arms. "I know dear, I know…Perhaps some breakfast will make you feel better?"

Eliza leaned into her mother's hug, letting the loving warmth of another human being flow into her. She was upset, but at least she wasn't alone today. She allowed herself to be cradled, taking in the scent of her mom's perfume. The smell of lavender always calmed her down and before long the two separated and began to head downstairs, ready to begin the day.

Breakfast this morning was just business as usual; half a loaf of bread and a single egg for both mother and daughter all washed down with a pitcher of cold water. The sun had fully risen over the Wall Rose now, bathing the town of Trost in the cool morning light. Eliza poked at her food, seemingly disinterested in eating as her mother got up to put her dish in the wash bin. Looking back over at her daughter, Cara sighed, gently patting the sad young girl on the head.

"There there sweetie, I'm sure daddy will be home before lunch." She said soothingly.

Her daughter glared up reproachfully at her. "That's what you always say." She growled, heaving a sigh of frustration.

Cara frowned, sitting down beside her daughter in an old, creaking chair.. "Daddy has to protect everyone you know, he's a guardsman after all, he can't just take off from work when his boss wants him there." She said, pulling her daughter into her soft bosom once more.

"But nothing ever happens around here!" Eliza shouted, her voice muffled in her mother's chest.

Cara continued to hug her daughter earnestly, gently caressing the top of her head with her free hand. "I hope it remains that way, I really do. The last time something happened is when Wall Maria fell…"

There was a loud knock at the door and Cara released her daughter from her loving embrace. Smoothing down her apron, she hurried over to the door and cracked it open. A small form greeted her eyes, waving shyly at her.

"Hello…is Lizzy home?" A child asked, looking around as if unsure how to proceed. Cara smiled and opened the door wide to admit the bewildered youngling who immediately locked eyes with Eliza who sat at the table. The birthday girl's brooding face broke into a broad smile at the sight of her close friend.

"Hello Isaac, how are you?" Eliza inquired, hopping down from the chair and running over to the black haired boy. He blushed shyly at her and motioned outside.

"Uh, I-I remembered it was your birthday today so…" Isaac said awkwardly, pointing outside. Eliza smiled warmly at him.

"Oh, so you wanted to go out and play?" She asked, giggling before looking up at her mother.

"Can I go play with Isaac?" She'd ask pleadingly, attempting to give her mom the best puppy dog look that she could.

Her mother simply smiled, pausing for a moment as though deep in thought. Then she shook her head and gave a soft sigh of feigned defeat. "Alright, I guess your chores can wait until tomorrow."

Eliza pumped her fist in the air and did a little victory dance before seizing Isaac's hand. The fiery little girl began forcefully dragging the poor boy outside with her, though he did not resist her eager pulls as they stepped out into the streets beyond..

* * *

The pair of giggling children played for the better part of the morning and well into the early hours of the afternoon, only stopping to return to Eliza's house for a couple of sweet buns her mother had baked for Eliza's birthday. Biting deep into the honey glazed bread Eliza and Isaac were blissfully unaware of the several sets of cold eyes that glared at them from the darkness of a nearby alleyway.

The first sign of what was to come came in the form of a small stone that smacked into the side of Eliza's cheek. Giving a startled cry the young girl reached up to touch her smarting cheek, wincing as she pulled her hand away to find blood sticking to her fingers from the jagged cut that the sharp rock had inflicted. She quickly turned, searching for who where the pebble had come from.

"Look girls; it's the whiny little snitch! Aww, what's wrong? Did you trip over your ugly face?"

Eliza felt an icy lance of fear race down her spine as a small gang of children came out of hiding from behind a stack of crates, led by a tall young blonde with a nasty smirk on her face.

"Why did you throw that rock at me Gretchen?!" Eliza yelped, shielding her face as a stick came hurtling past her, striking Isaac in the chest. The yellowed haired girl snarled at her, picking up another stone from the ground and bouncing it up and down in her palm.

"You know why. You just had to run to your stupid daddy, didn't you? You're the reason why my parents beat me yesterday!" Gretchen replied, snarling as she chucked another jagged rock at her victim. It fell just a few inches short, kicking up a small cloud of dust where it impacted the dry ground and fractured into multiple smaller fragments.

Eliza stood up, snatching the wooden sword that Isaac had been carrying around for most of the day. The length of wood was thick and sturdy, though it's heft was difficult for the young girl to overcome as she held it out infront of her.

"Leave us alone! You were stealing!" Eliza shouted, wincing as another stone glanced off of her shoulder. The gang's leader fumed, her lips curling into a snarl. Gretchen had a reputation as a violent hellion, something she was more than living up to today.

"You could have just looked the other way! My family needed that food!" The menacing older girl growled, advancing on the smaller redhead with a fiery rage burning brightly in her amber eyes.

Eliza took several steps back, adopting a sloppy stance with the hardwood sword held in a low, two handed guard. Her knees were shaking so much that Eliza couldn't keep the dread out of her voice.

"P-please, just go away!" She pleaded, lowering the tip of the sword for a moment, only to be blindsided from the flank. Another kid had snuck up around the side and lashed out, catching Eliza in the face with a supple branch. The blow stung like a whip as the soft green wood drew a nasty welt across her cheek, leaving a livid trail of red in its wake.. Before she could even react Eliza felt a fist connecting with her gut, knocking the wind out of her lungs and throwing her to the ground, defenseless.

Gretchen was on top of her in a flash, raising her fist to continue the assault upon her helpless victim. Bullies always preyed upon those who could not protect themselves, and the spiteful blonde was no different. Gretchen raised a fist and then brought her hand down to crash against Eliza's nose with every ounce of strength she could muster…

Then all hell broke loose.

There was a loud explosion followed by screams of terror as chunks of masonry flew through the air, ploughing into rows of houses like grapeshot. Entire blocks were decimated in an instant, leaving nothing but dust and rubble in their place. A fragment of stone collided with Gretchen's temple, drawing forth a fountain of red as she keeled over and collapsed. Eliza opened her eyes, blinking away tears of pain as her ears rang, looking up at the clear blue sky overhead.

 _'What's going on?'_ She thought, coughing as the other children fled, leaving their fallen leader in the dust.

"L-Lizzy! Come on, get up! They're coming!" She heard Isaac say as he tugged at her arm, attempting to drag her to her feet.

'Who's coming?' She wondered, slowly getting to her feet and dusting herself off. As she turned to look at her friend Eliza froze, her eyes locking on to the monstrous form that was peering over the wall. Through thick pillars of black smoke, the terrifying, skinless face of a Titan greeted her eyes like something out of her darkest nightmares. It was huge, looming mighty and powerful over the gatehouse. It's gargantuan body cast long shadows upon anything that stood in its path as smaller Titans began to stream through a breach in the gate.

Eliza didn't even registered the fact that she was screaming until Isaac clamped a dusty hand over her mouth in an attempt to silence her.

"Come on! We need to run!" He cried out, yanking at her wrist and jerking her away from the nameless horror currently staring down at them from on high. Eliza complied numbly, feeling only the buzz of adrenaline crackling over her pale skin like lightning as her legs pumped beneath her. They ran, leaving Gretchen lying upon the cold cobbles as the first Titans began to prowl, searching the devastated town for prey.

* * *

**Unknown Forerunner Shield World – 2557 A.D.**

The Master Chief gunned the throttle, taking the M12 Warthog from zero to forty in two and a half seconds. The FAV roared forward, clearing the steep northern slope of the hill with contemptuous ease. John's passenger opened her mouth to scream as the armored car entered freefall, hurtling through the air at breakneck speed. Without the impressive weight of the vehicle's three ton frame to keep the system in check, the Warthog's suspension expanded to its full clearance of 36 inches before finally hitting the ground below, hydraulics wheezing.

The impact that occurred was far less jarring and lethal than one might have expected as the shocks compressed down to their original one-foot state, absorbing most of the impact as the Master Chief floored it, ramping up to top speed in little under three seconds. The Warthog rolled onwards, leaving a massive cloud of dust in the wake of the armored vehicle as it tore off in the direction of the massive wall. The entire world became more than a dull green blur as the deep throated roar of the Warthog's engine rumbled onwards..

"Cortana, what's our ETA?" The Chief asked, switching off his helmet's external speakers. The UNSC smart AI's avatar appeared in his HUD in the top right corner and flagged the broken down gate with a blue diamond.

"We should arrive in approximately 2 minutes and 18 seconds Chief, provided that something doesn't slow us down." Cortana replied, holding two fingers up to her temple.

"That might be a problem." The Spartan grunted, nodding to the massive horde of monsters that were massing at the breach in the distance. A great slew of giant deformed mutants had seemingly been drawn from far and wide, all of whom were now converging upon the smoking ruins of the gatehouse up ahead.

Cortana frowned, analyzing the data for half a nanosecond before coming up with a different route. "Alright Chief, if you can maintain this speed you should easily be able to avoid those hostiles. Be warned though, I doubt they'll give up the chase without a fight.

The Chief frowned inwardly and thought on the plan for half a second, his keen mind searching for any flaws. "That might draw more of them through the gates." He said, continuing to maintain the Warthog's breakneck speed as it glided over the rough ground beneath its massive wheels.

"I'm sorry, do you have any better ideas? It's the only way in short of flying!" Cortana snapped. For a brief moment the Master Chief's HUD went haywire, flickering in and out as it lost cohesion. He quickly reached up and smacked the side of his helmet, hoping to clear the interference which settled soon afterwards.

"Cortana?" John asked, a note of concern hanging in his voice. The waypoint flashed on screen, restating the Spartan's objective. John frowned, tapping the side of his helmet once again to try and rouse his AI companion.

"Maintain your current course..." Came Cortana's voice, though it wavered weakly...as if the AI was distracted by something off in the distance.

The M12 continued onwards, shooting past Titans of varying sizes as it proceeded toward the destroyed gate, leaving it's ambling pursuers in the dust as it tore away from them. The woman riding shotgun gripped a hand hold hanging down between her and the Master Chief, doing her level best to calm her racing heart as the Warthog sped past group after group of incoming monsters. The vehicle bobbed and weaved, narrowly avoiding incoming attacks from every angle as they drew closer to their destination.

The beasts were clumsy and unwieldy; all they managed to catch were bits of grass and dirt between their teeth as scything jaws snapped shut, grasping empty air. The engagement area was growing thick with hostiles, and it became increasingly difficult to dodge the ever mounting tide of monstrosities that threw themselves at the Warthog. Right as they were about to pass through the destroyed gatehouse a massive giant threw its arm out in front of the Warthog's path. Without any room to maneuver the Master Chief simply braced for impact as the 3 ton jeep collided with the outstretched appendage.

There was a sickening crunch of meat and bone as hot blood splattered windshield. The Warthog had caught the beast in the forearm, ripping it off completely at the elbow and sent it cartwheeling off into the sky. The mangled limb crashed into the dust behind the bloody piece of machinery as it shot forwards and up a pile of rubble. The vehicle dipped and came down the opposite side of the debris, crashing through a crippled wagon and plunging back down onto firm ground. Without skipping a beat the Spartan floored the gas, sending the Warthog speeding down winding cobblestone streets and into the depths of the town beyond.

* * *

Eliza and Isaac clutched one another tightly as another blood curdling scream echoed in their ears. The two young children had ducked into a nearby inn as its patrons and owner had fled, sprinting out into the chaos that awaited them. Cut off from the end of the street by the shattered hulks of former buildings, the adults unwittingly ran straight into the waiting jaws of the Titan horde. None survived, and soon the streets ran red with human blood and dismembered bodies.

Unable to bear the carnage raging outside, the children clung to one another behind a blind spot on the inn's second story. They huddled in shadows, not daring to expose any part of themselves to the light lest they be exposed to the horrors outside. Isaac squeezed Eliza tightly, unable to keep his arms from trembling. The dark gap between two broad windows gave them ample cover...but it was a deep, primal fear that gripped the young companions and kept them locked in their embrace.

A keening cry of terror echoed outside and was abruptly cut short by a loud, sickening crunch. One of the nearby windows rattled, stained with gore as sheets of red fluid trickled down the glass. Eliza couldn't stop herself from emitting a single, ear-piercing shriek as the light painting the floor turned crimson. Isaac clamped a hand over her mouth, trying to keep his own teeth from chattering as several long seconds passed. After what felt like an eternity he gently let his hand fall from his friend's lips and breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the danger had passed.

A dark shadow crossed the floor, blocking out any and all light that attempted to pass through the dusty crystal panes. Both Eliza and Isaac held their breaths as their blood turned to ice water in their veins. A cold wave of fear washed over them, racing up their spines and setting their teeth on edge. Their hearts pounded in their chests, seemingly shattering the silence with every beat. Eliza looked over at Isaac, her green eyes wide and staring as she reached out to touch his hand.

The glass shattered.

A massive grasping appendage seized Eliza by the waist, ripping her out of the second story window as crystalline shards tore into her flesh. The little girl screamed, completely overcome with gut-wrenching terror. Tears clouded her eyes and her face grew pale as she kicked and writhed in the Titan's grasp...But it was no use, the monster had a grip like a steel vice and it bore her aloft, fixing her with its terrible, feral eyes. The skin of its palms felt like pavement on a hot summer's day as they squeezed around the poor child, nearly crushing her ribs to splinters.

Eliza felt as though she had been forced into a pressure cooker as the Titan brought her ever closer to its leering maw. The terrible jaws opened wide, blasting steam into the young victim's face as she stared wide eyed, now completely paralyzed with fear as she gazed into that dark, blistering gateway to hell. The great abyss beyond the Titan's throat loomed large from behind a row of enamel tombstones...a living guillotine.

In the back of her mind Eliza was dimly aware of a far off buzzing that slowly began to increase in volume as the Titan brought her closer and closer to meet with its kiss of death, but all she could do was utter one final scream as monster's scything teeth lunged forward to cut the thread of her life short.

There was a loud, resounding crash as the Titan's jaws slammed shut, spraying Eliza with a stinging crimson spray. A white-hot lance of pure agony shot up her left arm as it quivered and convulsed weakly. Her mind went numb as she reached up to touch her face, only to come eye to eye with the bloodied stump she had once called a limb. She blinked once, then twice before she felt herself begin to fall backwards, plummeting towards the pavement below.

'What just happened? Am I…dead?' she thought to herself as the wind rushed through her coppery curls. In her adrenaline charged state she faintly registered the fact that the Titan's entire face appeared to have been caved in, leaving shards of bone falling from its skull where the brow ridge used to be as her vision blackened. Her eyes soon rolled into the back of her skull... allowing blissful oblivion to finally claim her.

* * *

The Master Chief's passenger would have been thrown through the Warthog's windshield had she not braced herself for impact the moment the M12 had mounted a ramp of debris. With it's all terrain-all weather attitude, the FAV raced up the slope as though it were nothing more than a smooth hill. The vehicle shot off the makeshift ramp at over 50/mph, straight at the face of a massive mutant that unexpectedly stood in its path.

The resulting crash concluded with the Warthog's 3 ton frame completely obliterating the upper portion of the giant's face. Metal smashed through bone, tow hooks tore and gouged flesh until finally the beast fell. The Warthog's mass carried the monster to the ground, blowing through what was left of it's cranium before rolling free. Boxes of ammunition were sent sprawling onto the ground as the Warthog tumbled, spinning through the dust and carnage.

John threw himself out of the vehicle and dove from it's path. He tucked, rolling along the granite street before springing to his feet. The Spartan already had his shotgun leveled as he scanned for targets, only to catch a flutter of white cloth streaming through the air. With his enhanced perception the Master Chief saw a child's form, her little white dress rippling in the wind as she plummeted to the ground like an injured swan. Honed reflexes kicked into action without a thought; flinging the half-ton super soldier through the air until his armored limbs locked around the crippled girl.

The Spartan commando clutched the child to his breastplate as he landed with cat-like grace, quickly scanning the nearby area. There was a groan off to his side and John immediately snapped around, locking his targeting system on a familiar figure that was slowly extricating herself from the overturned Warthog. His former passenger was pressing a hand to her forehead, trying to stem the flow of blood that washed over her face. The Chief grunted and stepped towards the woozy young woman, keeping one hand firmly wrapped around his shotgun.

He presented the wounded child, gently pressing her into the disoriented adult's arms. It took her a few moments to get her bearings, after which she gently accepted the tiny body with a confused expression etched onto her face. This quickly turned to one of horror as she beheld what was left of the little girl's arm. The woman let out a sharp cry of alarm and immediately reached into her pocket, pulling out a long strip of cloth. She began to feverishly wrap the child's bleeding stump, all while the Spartan looked on.

John took a moment to shake the Caveman from his system, clearing his head of the primal thoughts and concerns that were currently washing over him. The mission was his primary concern for now, he couldn't let himself get wrapped up in the drama unfolding before his eyes. The Spartan distanced himself mentally, trying to lock this memory behind the same doors that held bitter experiences from the Covenant War.

"Chief! Contacts, closing in from all sides!" Cortana barked, bringing the Master Chief back to reality once more.

Cortana's information as always was accurate. Two four meter tall giants, a seven meter beast and finally the rapidly regenerating 10 meter colossus all turned to face the Chief. The twisted monstrosities were soon ambling towards the Spartan at an alarming speed, prompting him to shove his passenger towards the ruins of a nearby building as he brought his shotgun to bear.

The first blast of 8 gauge magnum smashed into one of the smaller giants as it lunged at the lone Spartan, swatting it out of the air like it was nothing more than a fly. It's head was blown to bits, showering the blood soaked cobbles with bits of bone and grey matter in a thick gory paste. John pumped another shell into the chamber, popping the expended hull out of the feed mechanism. Then the 7 meter class attempted to swipe at him, seeking to snatch the Spartan up in its powerful grip so it could bring its massive jaws to bear.

John nimbly avoided its grasping hands, pumping three rounds into the mutant's face as he strafed to the side, seeking to keep all of his adversaries focused on him and him alone. He didn't have a visual on the young woman he sought to protect, but he could hear her desperately scrambling through the rubble behind him. The Chief's ploy worked as the three remaining man-eaters took no notice of the fleeing human, instead opting to deal with the more obvious threat that the MJOLNIR-clad Spartan posed.

The 7 meter beast was feeling around for the Chief, its eyes a sightless mess of gore where the Soelkraft 8 gauge shells had done their bloody work. John took a moment to reload his weapon during the temporary lull as the other titans slowly crept forwards.

"Chief, be careful. These things can take a beating." Cortana chirped as John popped the final shell into the chamber and cocked the M90, grunting in acknowledgement as the Titans advanced.

The Chief suddenly felt an arm wrap around his upper torso as the fallen 4 meter giant finished regenerating its jaws. Before he could react it sank its newly formed teeth into the side of his neck, seeking to rip the Spartan's head from his shoulders. The Chief barely felt the pressure delivered by the thing's jowls, his neck shielded by the MJOLNIR's protective titanium weave undersuit. The Spartan growled as he seized the titan by the back of its own neck, spearing his fingers through its flesh. the probing, armored digits wrapped around the base of its spine, crushing the vertebrae in his grip.

With a grunt the Master Chief shifted his weight forward, heaving the massive creature over his shoulder and into the path of the other 4 meter class titan. The disintegrating corpse smashed into its brother, pinning the creature down as the 10 meter class tried it's luck. The large being pressed forwards, swinging its arms in wide, sweeping arcs. Fingers splayed wide, spreading like fishnets in an attempt to ensnare the Spartan-II.

The Master Chief danced out of reach before launching a devastating counter attack, charging forwards and smashing his armored fist into the giant's bony ankle. It crumpled like tin foil as the Chief's punch shattered the ball joint, causing the titan to fall forwards as its ankle completely collapsed under its weight. The Spartan easily sidestepped the gargantuan falling body as it crashed into the ground, kicking up a massive cloud of dust around it.

There was a panicked shout to the Spartan's flank, immediately drawing Johns attention to the waving form of his former passenger. She was yelling something and vigorously pointed to the back of her own neck before jabbing a finger in the direction of the fallen monstrosity.

John grunted in acknowledgment, deftly leaping a full ten feet into the air to land upon the crippled beast's back as it stirred. The strange creature shifted it's bulk, attempting to prop itself up. The Master Chief didn't give it the chance as along the length of the giant's spine before perching himself at the base of the titan's neck. Spreading his feet the Spartan fired, pumping shell after shell into the titans seemingly vulnerable area.

Boiling hot blood splattered John's MJOLNIR VI, raising a crimson mist around him as the destructive power of the M90's 8 gauge shells vaporized chunks of the monster's neck. Bits of meat and bone went flying in all directions as the buckshot dug deeper and deeper until finally...mercifully the monster creature shuddered. It's great, spindly arms buckled and collapsed, leaving the twisted mockery steaming in a pile of its own fluids as they evaporated.

The Master Chief turned to face his final opponent, the 7 meter class Titan that was bunching up on its haunches in preparation to hurl itself at its foe. The monster's head was freakishly huge, out of proportion with the entirety of its body. It's menacing grin leered at the armored human, flecked with gore and dust as the beast bunched up it's haunches to lunge.

There was the sound of a piton dart firing and two long black cables embedded themselves in the sides of a nearby building, heralding the arrival of a new combatant. Death flew upon steel wings as two razor sharp blades bit deep into the back of the freak's neck, carving a bloody channel into its spine. The titan was dead before it even knew what had happened, collapsing into a heap as its flesh began to burn away.

* * *

Hannes was in hell.

The screams, the blood, the dying; they were all too familiar sights to the Garrison trooper as he and his squad traversed the town of Trost. Images in his mind flashed back to the attack on Shiganshina and the subsequent fall of Wall Maria as they ran, moving from rooftop to rooftop with rapid precision. He hadn't been strong enough to save someone he'd cared about that day; his cowardice and nerves had gotten the better of him. Now four long years had passed, finally giving Hannes a chance to deem himself for his unwillingness to fight so long ago.

The rapid crack of rifle fire caught the man's attention, drawing his gaze off from the rest of his formation. It couldn't have come from more than a few blocks away, perhaps he still had time to reach whoever was shooting at the oncoming Titans. Hannes took one look back at his squad as they screamed over the rooftops, heading towards the rear wall to assist the evacuation effort. They hadn't seemed to have noticed the commotion, or were otherwise ignoring it in favor of reaching safety. Hannes growled and shook his head, dropping back as the rest of his comrades travelled onwards.

Hannes knew there was no point in risking an entire squad to save a handful of people. Without a word he flew off, breaking formation as he headed towards the rippling sounds of gunfire. Each shot seemed to grow faster and faster, prompting the Garrison soldier to rethink his hasty decision.

"They must have an entire squad of the Military Police pinned down!" Hannes said, starting to break out in a cold sweat. If there was more than one Titan, he had little hope of rescuing anyone, yet he pressed on anyways. He soared over rooftops, veered over streets until finally reaching the origin of the gunfire. A Titan loomed large before him, threatening to pounce on what he presumed to be a civilian standing below. The Garrison trooper put his training to work, gathering speed and momentum before hurling himself at the monster, blades glinting in the afternoon light. Blood dripped down Hannes' hands as his swords cut a swathe through the Titan's neck, dispatching it with ease. A sense of accomplishment overcame the young man as he landed on the ground to see to the survivors.

The level of carnage that greeted Hannes' eyes was inconceivable; Three Titans lay dead, scattered around the stone courtyard with a fourth, smaller Titan pinned beneath one of its decaying compatriots. Blood was strewn everywhere, as well as human body parts that all too clearly belonged to civilians. But in the middle of it all, standing upon the largest corpse in the sea of gore was an armored behemoth the likes of which he had never seen.

The massive figure was absolutely drenched in steaming Titan blood, it's armor flecked with bits of meat and bone as moisture rose around it. It stood impassively, seemingly unfazed by the destruction surrounding the Garrison member. The figure turned to face Hannes as the sun's rays glanced off the red mist, painting a bloody halo behind it as the unknown entity dropped off the edge of the decaying Titan corpse into a puddle of gore. It walked slowly, wading through the brutality like some ancient god of war.

Hannes gripped his blades tighter as the stranger approached, showing no sign of concern that an armed member of the Garrison stood before him.

"That's far enough!" Hannes barked, struggling to keep a tremor of fear out of his voice.

The armored warrior stopped, gazing at the man standing before it.

A deep, gravelly voice rumbled out in an unknown language, sending shivers racing up Hannes' spine. It seemed to come from the stranger's golden visor as they stepped forwards, clutching an exotic firearm within their gauntleted hands.

"S-stop! I'm warning you! Don't come any closer!" Hannes growled, attempting to swallow his fear as the figure continued on their way, paying no heed to the blades within the Garrison member's hands. Hannes braced himself, grasping his blades in a white-knucked grip. He was terrified, fighting the urge to just run instead of confronting the strange being trying to push past him. No...he wouldn't run away. He couldn't...he couldn't bear to live with the shame of it anymore...

"Wait, Stop!" a voice cried out, causing both Hannes and the armored giant to turn to the direction it'd come from. A young soldier came barreling out of the inn's ruins, covered in dust and blood as she clutched a small child to her breast. A dark haired boy followed along behind her, waving to the blonde Garrison member as he walked.

Hannes regarded the woman with relief, happy to see that at least some people had survived the bloodbath. However, he quickly noticed the Wings of Freedom emblazoned upon the soldier's chest, causing his eyebrows to shoot up in surprise. "You're from the Survey Corps? I didn't know you were mobilizing yet."

"I don't know if we have...but please stand aside. I am Section Commander Hanji Zoe, of the 4th Squadron. The boy here is Isaac, and the little girl is Eliza…" Hanji said, gently running her fingers through Eliza's red hair. It was matted with dirt and blood, but even worse was the condition of the child's arm. Bandages were tied hastily around her severed stump, blood seeping through the white gauze. Hannes felt is breath catch in his throat; he could hardly bear to see what had been done to the poor kid.

Hannes lowered his swords, sheathing one of them as he gently reached out to brush his fingers over Eliza's freckled face. She felt deathly cold and trembled, muttering incoherently.

"Damn it, this is terrible. We have to get these kids back to safety but...who the hell is this?" Hannes asked, pointing towards the massive armored stranger as they pushed past him and began moving towards an overturned wagon nearby.

"I don't know, but it's important that I get him back to headquarters. I'm not sure if you saw, but he took down those Titans single-handedly. He is a powerful, critical asset that must be preserved." Hanji replied, cradling the crippled girl a bit more firmly.

"He...He did what?" Hannes stammered, slowly turning to regard the green giant as he rifled through the strangely metallic cart, clearly searching for something. That was impossible, there was no way that...thing could have taken down three Titans on foot. Or was it?

"He dispatched them through the combined use of hand to hand combat and advanced firearms. No 3D Maneuver Gear, no swords...just his fists and a few bullets." Hanji quipped, casting a curious glance towards her research subject as he returned. There was a strange green canister clutched in his hands, topped with a cone-shaped nozzle. She wondered what it might be used for and merely watched as her rescuer began to undo Eliza's bandage.

The bite had been rather clean, with little in the way of splinters from her missing forearm to complicate medical matters. Her savior gently pressed the nozzle against the wound and pulled the trigger that lay beneath it, causing jet of yellowish foam to shoot forth from the opening. He applied it liberally, encasing the girl's stump in the strange substance. Hanji looked on, fascinated as the foam began to harden. That was an interesting property...though it was quickly covered up by a fresh set of bandages that were applied with clinical precision.

So the asset had medical training, yet another valuable skill. Hanji was growing more anxious by the second; she had to get him back to Command.

A pair of shockingly green eyes flickered open, staring up into the bloodied, golden visor of the stranger. Eliza groaned softly, shifting in the man's grip. She blinked for a moment or two, reaching up to brush the side of her savior's helmet with her fingers, as if she couldn't decide if he was real or not. When her fingers made contact with the lukewarm metal she frowned.

"Who are you?" Eliza croaked, her throat raw from the trials she had endured.

She received no answer, instead a massive hand moved to cradle the back of Eliza's head as she was passed back over to Hanji. The young woman carefully accepted the wounded girl, making sure to avoid disturbing her arm. Hannes looked on with amazement and slowly relaxed. The man standing before him was huge and imposing, yet the sheer gentleness he handled the child with calmed him. Though strange, he was no monster.

"Soldier, what's your name?" Hanji asked, looking towards her Garrison counterpart as she slowly stroked Eliza's hair.

"H-Hannes. Unit Captain of the Garrison Regiment." He replied, snapping to attention as Hanji raised an eyebrow.

"Where are your men Captain?"

"They're assisting in the evacuation Ma'am. I broke formation to rescue any survivors I might have found here."

"Awfully brave of you. Can you rally your troops and provide an escort? I've got damaged equipment and can't engage Titans on my own." Hanji requested, ignoring the clamor and clatter of the world around her.

"I can, but what will you do until I get back? It's hardly safe out here. Think your friend will stick around to help you?" Hannes asked, glancing over Hanji's shoulder. The armored figure was currently in the process of flipping that strange metal wagon over, succeeding in mere moments. He didn't think much of it when the stranger vaulted into the driver's seat.

"He's kept me safe so far. The asset should be able to provide us with protection while we hide in the inn." Hanji replied, returning Hannes' skepticism with a confident grin. There was a faint rumble behind her...a familiar one. Hanji blinked, a confused expression crossing her face.

"Well your 'asset' just took off…" Hannes said, his eyes wide as he pointed towards where Hanji's savior once stood. The young woman whipped around, her eyes wide with bewilderment as she beheld...nothing. The vehicle that once lay on it's side had vanished, the debris that had spilled from it were gone. There was naught but dust and echoes riding upon the wind as Hanji looked on, her heart sinking.

Her rescuer was gone.


	6. Chapter 5: Battle for Trost: Part 2

**The Battle of Trost: Savior in The Shadows**

**Town of Trost, Wall Rose – 2557 A.D.**

  
  


* * *

  
  


The M12 Warthog slowed to a crawl as the Master Chief eased off the throttle, checking the surrounding area for any sign of the monsters that were swarming all over the ruined township. The beasts were thick in this area, devouring any stray souls they came across with wild abandon. Discretion was the better part of valor, and as such John decided to exercise caution within this unfamiliar urban environment. Pulling into a shaded area concealed by rubble, the Spartan-II stopped the heavy vehicle and promptly hopped out. His armored boots alighted with a dull thud against the old cobblestone path beneath him as John hit the ground, scanning for targets.

Once the coast was clear the Master Chief paused. Reaching across the driver's seat, John lifted his M90 shotgun out of the rack that secured it to the vehicle. He took a moment to check over the weapon once more, rubbing the smooth titanium casing. Everything seemed to be in order; the housing was intact, the action seemed fine and the sights were aligned. Swiftly racking the pump the Spartan immersed himself in shadows, slipping into the darkness of a nearby building.

"Hey Chief, are you alright?" Cortana asked quietly, causing the Spartan to stop dead in his tracks inside the doorway of an abandoned house.

"I'm green Cortana" John grunted, brushing off her concern as he proceeded onwards into the primitive structure. The Spartan almost winced at the sound of the floorboards creaking underneath the weight of his armor, having learned early on in his career that making a single unintentional noise could jeopardize an entire operation. All it took was one misstep and something might be alerted to his position. The streets remained silent, and the Master Chief relaxed slightly. He still kept away from the windows however, sticking to the darkness and systematically dousing any candles with his fingertips as he moved through the house.

"John…" Cortana whispered plaintively, her soft voice echoing in the confines of the Spartan's mind as he entered what appeared to be a kitchen. The Master Chief said nothing for a moment as he swept the room for any sign of hostiles, his shotgun at the ready. The solid stone beneath the Spartan's feet granted him some measure of comfort as he traversed the open room, eyeing his motion tracker and scanning for hostiles.

"Now is not the time." The Chief replied, noticing several platters of half-eaten food on the dinner table. He switched on his thermal vision. The glowing spots of red and orange indicated that the food was still quite warm, and he felt bubbles rising in his gut, threatening to growl. He hadn't eaten in over 4 years, and while his suspended animation in cryostasis slowed down his metabolic rate considerably, the Spartan felt as though he hadn't eaten in weeks. He swept his gaze to a pair of knocked-over glasses and the liquid that spilled forth from them. The deep red color that was staining the table top looked familiar and the acrid smell of alcohol confirmed his suspicions.

Cortana noticed his reaction to the food and wine, smiling inwardly. The AI knew her Spartan had been deprived of nourishment for an unusually long time. "You're more human than you think, John." She said somewhat somberly, her words commenting on the soldier's physical situation as much as his earlier deflection.

Suddenly, a multitude of yellow blips appeared on the Chief's motion tracker, causing the Spartan to freeze in his tracks and snap his weapon to the nearby doorway. The targeting reticle of his M90 was firmly centered on the empty cobblestone street; drifting dust and echoes being the only things that filtered in through the opening. The contacts were closing fast, far too swift to be anyone on foot, so the Spartan looked to the sky. The sound of piton darts firing and sinking into wood and ceramic tiles overhead heralded the arrival of a small group of young humans as they soared past him on the rooftops. They swung through the air, maneuvering about gracefully with their strange grappling devices as they moved forward.

The Master Chief frowned inwardly, his enhanced reflexes allowing him to get a good look at the squad as they sailed past his position, wholly unaware of the cyborg's presence in the abandoned house. The young man leading the troop had dark brown hair that whipped about his face in a frenzy as he moved through the air, his two emerald eyes glinting in the afternoon sun. The kids' apparel was quite similar to the other soldiers that John had encountered; a white undershirt, brown pants and a long-sleeved leather vest. The black straps of some sort of harness could be seen through the vest's parted front, probably securing them to the gadgets at their sides.

The only difference that he noticed between these young soldiers and the others he had encountered previously were the various patches marked with two crossed blades that probably stated their service branch. John also took note of what appeared to be replacement blades secured in what could only be described as two giant metal butcher blocks holding six blades each.

_ Those swords must be quite prone to breaking or dulling if they need to carry around a set of twelve replacements on them at all times _ . The Spartan thought, mulling over why they would use such inefficient weapons. The swords themselves seemed to be razor sharp from what the Spartan could tell as the group made their way past him across the rooftops. The thinness of the edge reminded him of the blade of his own combat knife, which was made of high grade titanium alloy honed down to a monomolecular edge. He knew that these people most likely didn't have access to such advanced metallurgy, so their blades would probably be made from low quality steel.

John blinked as time seemed to return to normal. His observations had occurred in little under three seconds, his quick mind processing everything as it had come to him. Shaking his head he ducked back into the building and crouched in the shadows, taking cover behind the door frame. The Master Chief gave the advancing troops time to distance themselves from his position before peeking out from behind the door way, shotgun at the ready as he scanned the street for hostiles.

No more squads appeared to be following directly behind the first, causing the Spartan to wonder if the young soldiers were on their way to support another force, or if their command had been caught so off guard that they were the only troops available to lead a counter attack. With caution born of bitter experience the Spartan began to move onwards, determined to shadow the troopers from the darkness.

  
  


* * *

  
  


It had been four and a half grueling years for young Eren Jaeger; a member of the 104th Trainee Squad. The dark haired youth had devoted his life in pursuit of revenge against the Titan menace that threatened to consume all of humanity. This drive for bloodshed was fueled by pain and regret. He was in Shinganshina when the Wall Maria fell. He witnessed the carnage that the Titans had wrought, heard the terrified screams of his fellow humans echoing off the blood stained walls that were supposed to protect them.

He saw his mother, her dark hair matted with blood as she cried out to him from afar. He'd seen her devoured; her body bitten in half by a gaunt, leering 14 meter class Titan with hair the color of bleached straw. He still remembered the hot, crimson droplets of his mother's blood that flecked his face as the Titan's massive jaws ended her life. The very thought sent a burning hot pulse of rage up Eren's spine. Today was the day that he would claim his first Titan, and it's death would mark the beginning of the end for the monsters at Humanity's door.

This would be his crucible, his harrowing, his trial by fire. And by whatever gods that dwelt in the heavens or the world beneath, he would have his revenge!

Flanking him was one of his oldest friends; Armin Arlert. A blonde haired, blue eyed youth who's calm expression belied his nervousness, Armin was quite apprehensive about facing the Titan menace, terrified in fact. He too had survived the hell of Shinganshina. He, along with Eren and Mikasa Akerman, had enlisted in the army together both to avoid starving in the streets and to have their chance at revenge.

However, the thought of meeting his end in the jaws of a Titan, or worse still, surviving them only to boil to death in one's belly was unappealing to say the least. But he would still stand by his friend until the bitter end, perhaps even giving his life so that Eren and the others might escape. It was all he thought himself capable of given the abysmal odds that they were faced with. Being the first squad out to assist the main garrison force's evacuation attempts meant they'd be alone they when inevitably made contact with roving Titans.

The other members of the group included Mina Carolina; a kind, perky young woman with her dark hair bound up in pigtails and two brown haired youths by the names Mylius Zeramuski and Nac Tius who flanked her on either side. Keeping pace with them came the blonde, short haired Thomas Wagner, who joked about keeping a kill count to sort out a competition when they returned alive.

None of them noticed the massive, green armored form tailing them from the shadows of the street below. It was incredibly fast, easily able to keep a steady pace with their Three Dimensional Maneuver Gears as they zipped through the air...even as it picked it's path through small alleyways and abandoned homes. Had the group known that such a figure was tailing them they might have moved to confront it, but their eyes were firmly set straight ahead towards their goal. After all, who would think to look down from three stories up at this juncture with their foes so close?

The sight that came to the eyes of the 104th Trainee Squad members as they neared the frontline sent jolts of shock rippling through their minds. Titans were everywhere, milling about and devouring people left and right. Civilians fled through the streets below with smaller Titans in hot pursuit. Isolated squads were bogged down keeping larger Titans at bay, and rapidly found themselves being decimated as they attempted to stem the tide of monsters pouring out into the streets.

"I can't believe there's so many Titans out already!" Mina gasped, tightening the already white knuckle grip on her blades. The thought of fighting so many of those monstrosities without heavier backup set her teeth on edge, and she had to stop herself from hyperventilating.

Thomas gulped audibly next to her. "The entire vanguard has been butchered!" He gasped, his straw colored hair bristling like an angry hedgehog in the wind.

"What the hell happened? Those hot shots have more experience than any one of us!" Nac growled, firing off his 3DMG once more as the pressurized gas within the tanks at his sides leaving a white vapor trail behind him.

"I knew this wasn't going to be easy…" Eren muttered under his breath, his intense emerald green eyes locked on the scene before him as his brow furrowed. "But this is too…"

He cut himself off, his heart catching in his chest at the sight of a large form moving amongst the buildings over 50 meters ahead. It jumped, and he knew he and his squad were in deep shit.

"Watch out! It's an abnormal!" Eren shouted, swerving out of the way just in time to avoid the oncoming Titan and it soared through the air.

It sailed past, crashing into a nearby tower with all the grace of a fat pigeon hitting a window. Eren managed to catch hold of a rooftop gutter while Armin and the rest of his squad landed above him, staring back at the Titan as it clung to the masonry of the damaged structure.

It pulled its head back, and the sight of what was between its jaws froze everyone in their positions.

Thomas Wagner, for all his boisterous nature had been unable to get out of the way in time and he lay trapped between the monstrosity's lips, staring helplessly at his companions. Eren and the surviving members of his squad could only look on in horror as the Titan threw its head back and swallowed their comrade whole without so much as a scream. Then, as if nothing had happened, the perverse mockery of humanity let go of the tower and casually began to walk off in search of more victims, forgetting the rest of the squad's presence entirely.

Eren's eyes widened, his breaths coming in quick and heavy as his nostrils flared. The emotion that brewed inside of him for so many years began to simmer and boil outwards; anger. But it was more than mere anger. It was seething rage that came up from the very depths of his gut, a kind of anger that swept aside all thoughts aside from his blind fury. The sight of Thomas so ruthlessly being consumed caused something inside of Eren to snap, and he let forth a cry that curdled the blood of his squad mates so much that they could only look at him in shock.

"HEY! WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!" He roared, firing off his hooks and securing securing anchor point on the nearby rooftops as he set off in hot pursuit of the ambling giant. His primal instincts blurred out everything else as his comrades called out for him to hold back. They went unheeded as Eren charged ahead, screaming his defiance to the heavens as he went.

"Get back here you monster! You won't get away! You won't get away with killing Thomas like that! I'll tear you to pieces you son of a bitch!" He roared, gaining momentum as he glided underneath an overhanging bridge and skimmed along the street, spinning around in preparation for his first kill.

He never reached his target.

As he closed with the monster, he noticed a dark form moving below him. By the time Eren realized his peril, it was too late. A Titan that had been lying in ambush leaped up and snapped its jaws beneath him. Eren's vision went white as a hot blast of agony racked his left leg. Blood flowed freely from the severed stump that had once been his knee, spewing out onto the shingles and street below as the unfortunate soul's momentum carried him across several more rooftops.

Shattered bits of ceramic tile lacerated Eren's skin and embedded themselves in his flesh as he crashed through a peaked rooftop, then another, and another until he stopped. Hundreds of tiny shards dug into his body from every angle, causing untold agony in combination with his now useless leg. Eren struggled to draw breath, his diaphragm too compressed from the force of multiple impacts for him to recuperate. He lay there, helpless to the world as his mind became a foggy haze of pain and exhaustion until slowly...mercifully, he slipped into the realm of unconsciousness.

* * *

  
  
  


The Master Chief sighed and shook his head as the dark haired boy charged off ahead of of his surviving comrades, breaking formation in pursuit of the Titan that had swallowed his companion whole. The entire squad was a disorganized mob now, desperately trying to catch up to their reckless leader. Broken and distracted, they were now extremely vulnerable to oncoming giants and the situation was bound to turn dire.

"He's a dead fool, but his squad will die with him if we don't do something." Cortana chimed in John's ear, marking the young man with a blue diamond shaped waypoint on the Spartan's HUD. The Chief held his position for a moment, weighing the odds of the situation.

"I need to get to the roof first." He said, moving towards a stack of crates that had been piled up against a second story building. It only took him half a second to scale all three of them and land with a dull 'thunk' on the ceramic shingles on the rooftop. He got up in time to see the squad leader get his leg sheared off to the knee by a hidden foe. His body flew onwards with the momentum he'd built up whilst closing in for the kill and soon disappeared into the maze of roofs beyond.

John didn't even sigh. The kid was already bound to die when he took off away from the safety of his squad. Still, seeing the disorganized mob of young people coming to the aid of their doomed commander dredged up dark memories of the Human-Covenant War. Memories of police officers and servicemen attempting to help their downed comrades, only to be vaporized in a hail of plasma fire. The image of a mother running back to a ruin of molten slag, crying out for her baby only to find the twin tines of a plasma sword protruding from her chest...and that of a father desperately attempting to shield his loved ones with his body as crystalline purple projectiles plunged into his flesh, detonating and tearing him asunder before his children's very eyes.

"Chief…they need you" Cortana whispered, sensing the Spartan's internal conflict. Her plaintive tone struck a chord within the UNSC soldier. Without a further word, the Master Chief flipped the safety off his M90 and set off towards the disorganized squad, determined to pull them out of whatever mess they were getting themselves into.

* * *

  
  
  


Mina Carolina cried out in horror as Eren went flying; legless and trailing blood through the air as he smashed through roof after roof. Armin Arlert was similarly dismayed, and he let out a high pitched wail of anguish and surprise as his oldest friend vanished from view. Mina pulled up alongside Nac, casting him a worried glance as they continued on towards the Titan, wondering if Eren was still alive despite his injuries.

The moment she cast another look his way, he vanished in a fizz of blood as his body collided with the outstretched palm of a Titan, spattering the side of her face with gore. Mina screamed, unable to tear her eyes away from the gruesome scene as yet another of her comrades died at the hands of these beasts. It proved to be a fatal mistake. Another Titan, curious about the shiny steel cord stretched taunt right in front of its eyes decided to give it and exploratory tug, sending the unfortunate woman lurching through the air as her harnessed pulled at her. She screamed in terror, inevitably slamming into the side of a nearby building.

Mina felt her shoulders dislocate, forcefully being pushed away from her body by the dizzying impact. Something in her neck twisted and compressed in a way it wasn't meant to and a fiery, white hot lance of pain shot up her entire spine. She opened her mouth to scream, but found that she couldn't draw breath. The wind had been taken out of her, and the sight of a massive, emotionless face looming over her would have frozen the air in her lungs anyway.

Mina wanted to cry out, to scream in terror, but her body wouldn't heed her commands. She tried to cover her face with one hand in a vain attempt to stave off the inevitable attack that would seal her fate, but all her fingers were able to do was twitch as another burst of agony washed over her.

All Mina could do now was watch as the Titan picked her up between its massive, paw-like hands and held her firmly. Its jaws opened impossibly wide, blasting hot, steamy air into her face from its cavernous maw. A morbid sense of curiosity forced her eyes to remain open as she stared blankly into the sweltering abyss that was to be her grave.

_ Is this the end?! I don't want to die! Please God! _ She screamed mentally as the hellish jaws of death grew closer with agonizing slowness in her adrenaline charged state, attempting to break free even though her injured body refused to move.

_ 'Mom… dad… I'm so sorry…' _

* * *

  
  
  


The Master Chief leapt from roof to roof, making sure to cross only the strongest sections that would bear the half ton bulk of his MJOLNIR Mark VI. The Spartan broke from cover, running parallel to the disorganized band as fast as he dared. Ceramic shingles shattered underneath his boots, sliding down the sides of the sloped roofs in great streams as the half ton soldier thundered past. The time for stealth had flown for the moment, though going full speed in this situation might put the Spartan in dire straights as he maneuvered through the rooftop jungle.

One wrong move or misstep could spell disaster, costing the Spartan precious seconds he simply did not have. Plunging through a weak roof and ploughing into the building beneath was something the Master Chief couldn’t afford as he raced on ahead, keeping his eyes on the young troopers as they sailed onwards.

John caught a glimpse of one of the squad members being reduced to a bloody pulp from a monster's open palmed swipe, killing the poor boy instantly. He likely never knew what hit him. The Master Chief, used to detaching himself from the horrors of war dismissed his unfortunate death...though he did feel a bubble of anger rising in his throat. This conflict was hardly a battle; it was a blatant and one sided butchery.

Such scenes of carnage were an all too all too familiar sight to the 35 year veteran of the Human Covenant war. Even a Spartan never got used to seeing dead civilians, and these green troops were so young and wet behind the ears that they might as well have been throwing rocks at a pair of Hunters.

The Master Chief closed with the squad in time to see the dark haired girl's wire being snatched by a passing giant, sending her careening down and smashing into a nearby structure. Her companion was snatched by the leg and yanked aside. His screams knifed through the air, but were quickly silenced by a sickeningly loud 'crunch'. The girl lay stunned, her back up against the cracked stone façade of a higher class home, unable to so much as breathe as the beast that had snagged her wire bore down upon her.

Spartan time kicked in as the Chief leaped from his high perch over four stories up, causing a cascade of ceramic tiles to fall to the ground. Everything seemed to slow to a crawl as John adjusted his trajectory, using his enhanced reflexes and reaction time to maximise the impact. This succeeded in burying the monstrosity beneath a downpour of sharp rock as the Spartan came down on top of it with every ounce of force he could muster. John felt the thing's ribs snap underneath his armored boots as they caved its chest in, covering his legs in steaming hot blood. The twisted creature attempted to sit up, but the Chief closed in, wrapping his arms around the monster's neck.

It snapped its jaws and howled at him as the war veteran began to twist its spine. Iron-dense muscles and motorized servos combined with the liquid crystal layer of John's MJLONIR Mark VI went into action. Vertebrae snapped, skin and muscles tore and the freak howled for one final time before its head was ripped from its shoulders. It soaked the street in a torrent of blood as the Master Chief simply punted the decapitated head down the street before drawing his combat knife and sinking it into the nape of the twitching man-eater's neck.

With the immediate threat dealt with for the moment the Spartan turned to regard the injured young woman at his feet. She lay slumped against the wall, her eyes dulled in pain as she stared up into the Chief's visor. John noticed the corners of her mouth twitching as though she couldn't quite decide whether to frown or smile and inevitably got caught in-between. Judging by her position and her inability to move, the Master Chief guessed that she might have blown out a disk in her neck or fractured her spine. If that was the case, she might live out the rest of her life as a cripple.

John pondered this for a moment, fingering the hilt of his combat knife as he contemplated putting her out of her misery. But as she drew breath and the sparks of life returned to her grey eyes the Spartan sheathed his knife, confident in her determination to live.

The Master Chief bent over, gathering up the girl's limp form in his arms before slowly scanning the surrounding area. He recounted the casualties, noting that one squad member was unaccounted for. A blond tuft of hair waving from behind a chimney went unnoticed by the Spartan as he ducked down a nearby alleyway, taking the girl with him.

The young woman's eyes widened for a moment as her heart pounded in her chest. John felt her pulse quicken through his suit and gently set her down in a pile of old, discarded hay that lay at the alley's end. He covered her up partially to mask her from any roving beasts before turning around knocking down a nearby door, immersing himself in the shadows within the building and vanishing from view.

  
  
  
  


Mina wanted to frown, but found that she was too tired to move her facial muscles. What had just saved her from a most grisly fate? Was it some elite solider from a secret branch of the military? Or had some abnormal Titan suddenly donned a suit of green armor and set about destroying others of its own kind? These questions swirled about in her mind as the enigmatic armored figure gently laid her injured body in a pile of hay in the darkness of an alleyway.

She found the gentleness that the giant displayed to be rather unnerving, especially after she witnessed the stranger rip a Titan's head from its shoulders as if it were a rotten chicken. Her mind became hazy as exhaustion overtook her, the veil of unconsciousness rapidly encroaching on her vision as it became obscured. Her final thought though was crystal clear as the green giant kicked down a door and became one with the darkness, disappearing from view.

There was no doubt, and in Mina's last moments of consciousness before sleep took her, the young woman's lips curled into a smile.

_ There's a Savior lurking in the shadows… _

* * *

  
  
  


**Trost Forward Headquarters, Wall Rose**

  
  
  
  


This day was getting progressively getting worse and worse for Erwin Smith; overall Commander of the Survey Corps. His eyes ached as report after report came pouring onto his desk in a commandeered guild house near the Wall Rose. Casualties were mounting to insanely high levels, and that was only adding to the headache from the devastating venture outside the walls earlier that day. Had the Corps inadvertently invited an attack upon the Wall by investigating the beam of orange light that had appeared earlier in the day? Or was the Colossal Titan drawn to the town of Trost by the recent population boom in the area?

So many questions were swirling about the man's head, yet he maintained his cool demeanor. It was a trait that reflected Erwin's experience with commanding troops in the face of overwhelming odds. He had always known that this day would come; the day that Titans would finally attack the Wall Rose. He wasn't about to shy away from the harsh realities of command when Humanity so desperately needed him.

Erwin stood up from the old armchair and began to pace about the room like a caged tiger, the floor boards creaking beneath his tread. A single dusty beam of light poured in from a dirty window, elongating the man's shadow as he stopped to gaze into the plaza. Members of the Garrison and Survey Corps were forming up and directing supplies to the front line, passing out blades as new recruits filed into the square. The greenhorns nervously accepted the equipment they were issued, their bodies rigid with apprehension for what lay ahead.

Erwin felt the lines etching his face deepen. These kids had no combat experience; their first battle would most likely be their last. How many would break down after seeing their friends being devoured before their very eyes? How many would return from the hellish din of battle with their bodies and souls still intact? The commander sighed and shook his head as he tore his gaze from the scene and turned back to the reports on his desk.

There was a knock on the door, and Erwin gave a tired sigh as he made his way back to the old red velvet armchair.

"Come in…" He said, watching impassively as a young woman entered the room accompanied by an armed escort. His eyes widened a fraction as the familiar face of his assumed to be deceased head of research filled his vision. Hanji Zoe stood before him, alive and well with that familiar flush of excitement still plastered across her features. She rushed forwards without prompting and slammed a couple of leather bound tomes onto the dusty oaken surface of the desk.

The Commander didn't understand; he'd seen her mount throw her from its back during the chaos of the last expedition. She'd been flung into that swirling maelstrom of blood and dust...how had she made it back to the Wall in the first place, and in one piece no-less? So many questions rattled around in Erwin's mind, but more important things were at hand.

Erwin cast Hanji a curious glance as Captain Levi silently stole into the room beside her with an unfamiliar blonde-haired member of the Garrison in tow. Each stood on either side of the eccentric woman, facing the Commander. Both of them had undoubtedly seen battle judging by the amount of blood spattered across their uniforms the red flush of adrenaline burning in their cheeks.

Erwin knew the look that had crossed Hanji's face. She was positively bouncing with enthusiasm, practically begging her commander to open the journals she'd laid before him. The Section Commander doubtlessly had information that was bound to be critical in pushing the Titans out of Trost. With that in mind Erwin Smith calmly folded his hands in front of him and perched his elbows on the table, uttering a single, solitary word.

"Explain"

Hanji, as always, was thorough in her recounting of events. From her near brush with death to her short-lived companionship with this strange Titan Slayer, Hanji spared no details. Every word brought forth more feverish glee and excitement from the young woman as she went on, dumping every bit of information she could provide at Erwin’s feet. The Commander stole a glance at the Garrison trooper, noting how his face seemed to drain of color from Hanji’s harrowing and vivid depiction of events. Even Levi appeared to tense up slightly at the glut of information laid out before him.

After thirty minutes, Hanji had finally finished her after-action report; her second journal lying open on Erwin’s desk.

Commander Erwin slowly closed the leather-bound book, his face an unreadable, neutral mask. Even so, he could feel his own hands tremble in light of this new information as he turned to his head researcher. The young woman was absolutely quivering with excitement, waiting on Erwin's words with bated breath. The Commander took a long, deep breath before releasing it as his hands calmed down.

Initially he'd believed the account of Hanji's survival to be pure fantasy; the fever-dreams of someone who'd been forced to endure a traumatizing ordeal. Yet her very presence attested to the story's veracity, how else could she be here? Erwin had done a head count upon returning, and Hanji had not been among the living. She couldn't have made it through the gate on horseback or on foot with broken equipment. Every explanation Erwin tried to come up with failed in the face of Hanji's survival.

The description of her rescuer's combat prowess was something else. The speed, power and ferocity with which he dispatched Titans was inconceivable. He moved faster than the eye could see, struck with such force that he could throw a 10 meter class off of its feet...it was impossible. Yet something tickled the back of Erwin's mind. An inkling that there might be a kernel of truth to this tale. And if even a fraction of it could be verified...

"I assume that all of this information is accurate Hanji?" Erwin said, holding the brown haired woman in his steely gaze. Hanji nodded emphatically as she rubbed her hands together.

"Yes sir, I was with him the whole time!" She said stamping a foot on the ground before drawing her body into a salute, pounding her fist over her chest with her free hand being pressed into the arch of her back.

Erwin nodded, digesting the information with his typical speed that kept him in Command for so many years as he stood to face the three soldiers. Hanji was reliable. Eccentric to be sure, but reliable even in the face of overwhelming carnage. He turned to cast his gaze upon the so far unnamed member of the Garrison, who snapped a crisp salute in response.

"What is your name soldier? Did you see this…Titan Slayer as well?" Erwin asked quietly as he moved out from behind his desk to stand before the blonde trooper. The man gulped before stammering out a reply.

"I-I am Captain Hannes. I-I saw the thing sir!" Hannes said, doing his best to calm his nerves as the Commander drew closer. Erwin held the man's gaze with his gun metal grey irises and placed a hand on Hannes' shoulder.

"What were your observations about the creature?" Erwin asked softly, keeping his eyes locked with the Garrison member's to gage his reaction. Hannes swallowed again.

"I-I'm not sure, sir. I arrived in time to dispatch a seven meter class and only witnessed the aftermath of a massacre…he was just standing atop the corpse of a ten meter class Titan, covered in blood and gore. I don't know how he took down three Titans on his own, but he moved in a way that seemed…unnatural. He was just too light on his feet, even though that armor plating was so thick it must have weighed over a hundred pounds." Hannes said, maintaining his salute as a bead of sweat rolled down his brow.

Erwin nodded once more, turning his back to the soldier as he gently began to stroke his chin. There had to be more witnesses then just Hanji and her companion…unless…

"Was anyone else with you when you saw him?" Erwin asked, closing his eyes as he turned to face the three once more. Both Hanji and Hannes looked at one another before nodding and returning their gaze to the Commander.

"Yes Commander, but I don't know if they'd be reliable witnesses." Levi said as he stepped forward. Erwin eyed him curiously, as the Captain rarely chose to speak unless spoken to first.

"And why would that be?" The Commander asked as he leaned against the oak desk, kicking up a small cloud of dust as the table moved a few centimeters back. Levi blinked before looking towards Hanji and her associate.

"Because they're just kids."

* * *

  
  
  


Eliza Hawthorne sat in the lobby of the Survey Corps' forward headquarters, gazing blankly at the ceiling. The little girl could barely feel the dull throbbing pain that emanated from the stump she once called an arm as she counted the ceiling beams. It felt like she'd done this a hundred times while waiting for Isaac to return.. He had been taken upstairs by the grownups while she had been made to sit down in a rather uncomfortable chair. Though she was given a few sweets Eliza hadn't touched them; she had too much on her mind to think of such things.

Where was her mother? Had she made it out okay? Her house was close to the gates, but her mother had to of made it out. That, or she must have hidden in the cellar where no Titan could get to her. Most children would have burst into tears from the uncertainty, but Eliza simply took a deep, shuddering breath and counted the ceiling beams again.

After what seemed like ages, Isaac was brought back down stairs by a couple soldiers bearing the Wings of Freedom upon their shoulder patches. They sat the poor boy down next to her before they motioned Eliza to follow them. She simply nodded and shakily stood, trailing them up the creaky old staircase without a word. A few moments later she found herself being led down a short hallway where she was greeted by two familiar figures that stood outside a nearby door; the nice lady that had saved her and Hannes who she knew as a friend of her father's watched her go. Eliza felt their gaze upon her back even as she was led into the confines of a dark, dusty room.

A single person stood in the center of the chamber with his back to her, facing the only window. Eliza gulped nervously, not knowing why she had been brought up here as the door was closed softly behind her. The man gave a heavy sigh as he turned to face the young girl, his uniform marked with the decorations of a veteran campaigner.

"Hello Eliza, my name is Erwin Smith." He said in a soft spoken manner as he eyed the young girl up and down. Then, much to Eliza's surprise he slowly knelt in front of her until they were eye level and cracked a gentle smile as he reached behind his back to produce a bound leather book. He licked the tip of his finger and opened up a seemingly random page before presenting it to her. Eliza gave the page a curious look before her heart leapt into her throat. An unnervingly familiar figure was roughly sketched upon the page, but even the lines of charcoal did nothing to separate the images in her mind from that on the piece of yellowed paper.

"Does this man look familiar to you?" The nice man asked, pointing to the sketch. Eliza simply stared dumbly for a few moments before nodding, keeping her eyes locked upon the figure's head. That helmet...that golden mirror that she had seen her reflection in…he was real after all!

"Y-yes sir, he saved me!"

Commander Smith took a deep breath and gently patted the young girl atop the head. So, there were four witnesses, and in a town of over 10,000 people that wasn't exactly the best evidence to go off of. However, the Commander felt something in his gut…those four had definitely seen something. But was it really something new? Could it possibly be human or even a Titan? Or was it something in-between, a bridge between the realms of Titan and Man?

Erwin shook his head and motioned for the little girl to leave as Captain Levi emerged from the shadows and escorted her out. If this creature could be convinced to fight on the side of Humanity, it's prowess in battle could turn the tide of this eternal struggle. It was clearly intelligent enough to be reasoned with, though the Commander had reservations about such negotiations.

What could it possibly want in return for supporting his forces? It possessed advanced weaponry from what Hanji and the young boy from earlier had ascertained. The ability to fire shot after shot without reloading, and with such precision and accuracy…Erwin felt a shiver run up his spine. Oh what possibilities that sort of technology could unlock! If the same principal could be applied to the cannons on the walls, they could clear out Titans at long range and give the Scouting Legion a safer area to explore.

However, if the creature was smart enough to know the value of such weaponry, the Commander knew that it would be unwilling to give such a bargaining chip up without cause.

"Sir, the Corps is ready to advance," came a muffled voice from outside the door. Erwin smoothed down the front of his jacket and picked a stack of reports before slowly moving towards the door. Levi opened it for him and then passed the papers along to the Commander's aide who hurried off into the lobby down below.

"Sir, what are my orders?" The Captain asked, leaning up against the doorway with his arms folded. Erwin turned his head towards him and remained silent for a few moments before responding.

"I want you and Hanji to locate the Titan Slayer and bring him to me. He may very well assist us if we play our cards right."

"What about my squad?"

"They are to join the rest of the Survey Corps in the reserve line. I don't want to risk aggravating the creature if they attack it."

"What if it won't cooperate?"

"Then keep it boxed in until I arrive to carry out negotiations. Do not engage under any circumstances, even if they fire a shot at you. If you anger this...thing there won't be anything left of you or Hanji to bury.

"Yes sir!" Levi said, snapping a crisp salute before he made his way down the hallway and vanished around a nearby corner. Erwin gave a tired sigh and rubbed his temples in an attempt to relieve his growing headache. This was going to be a long day, and longer still if the Palace caught wind of this new development. He had to keep any information concerning the stranger under wraps.

If the Survey Corps was to stand a ghost of a chance making a deal with the unknown, the politicians would have to be kept away with their mindless bickering. For all he knew the nobility would see this newcomer executed and dissected under the guise of furthering science...

He gave a solemn sigh and turned his gaze back to the dusty hallway, walking out towards the square.

"I hope Hanji is right, if this Titan Slayer sides with Humanity…we might just stand a chance."


End file.
